Say Goodbye
by RJ O'Hara
Summary: Olivia leaves for an undercover job and is presumed dead. Until Elliot finds her a year later, and learns her tragic, heartbreaking story. He brings her back home to build a new life with her. The entire gang comes back to welcome the new family. EO.
1. Don't Say Anything

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, as much as I might ask. **_

_**A/N: Just a little something I came up with... I hope you like it! I know they're kinda out of character, too... Sorry.  
**_

* * *

"I'll be fine, Elliot," she persisted as she hurried around the small bedroom, stuffing clothes into a small suitcase.

He stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. "You could die," he said simply, trying to keep the caring out of his voice.

She chuckled, throwing a pair of jeans on top of the messy pile of clothes already in the suitcase. "There's that possibility every day with this job. Besides," she sighed, turning to him and folding her arms, leaning her weight on the left side of her body. "It's just the eco-terrorists again, I've dealt with them. And it's not like you've cared when I left for undercover jobs before."

"That's not true," he said defensively. "That's not true," he repeated quietly, as if to himself, in lack of finding something better to say. He dropped his gaze from hers, looking down to his feet.

"Oh yeah?" she prodded him, almost playfully.

"I did care." His gaze remained on his feet.

"Sure as hell didn't seem like it," she said angrily, turning back to the closet and pulling out more clothes.

Elliot looked back up, seeing the messy pile of clothes. He chuckled. "You're a terrible packer," he informed her.

"You think you can do better?" she asked angrily, still rifling through the closet.

"Yeah, I can."

Olivia turned back to him, a fire burning in her eyes. "Well, let's see it then."

Elliot hesitantly pushed himself off the doorway and went to her suitcase. He picked up a pair of jeans and looked at them. They looked form fitting, but loose and comfortable at the same time. It was then that he realized that he almost never saw her in jeans, and now wanted her to put them on.

"Are you going to pack my clothes or just stare at them?"

He swallowed the question bubbling in his throat and went to her side by the open closet, still holding the jeans. He looked her in the eye and folded them.

Then, to Olivia's surprise, he pulled open a drawer and laid the folded jeans neatly in it.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he picked up another pair of jeans. She tried to grab them from him, but his grip was too strong.

"Give me my pants, Elliot," she almost yelled at him.

"You can't go, Liv," he said simply. "I couldn't take it."

"What do you mean?" she asked, loosening her grip on the jeans.

He sighed. "I don't want a new partner. I fell for Dani because I was at a crumbling point in my life." He stopped, unsure about the next sentence. "You're my support, you've kept me strong. I don't want to fall again… if you're not there to catch me." His voice was so quiet that Olivia almost couldn't hear him.

Almost.

"Again?" she asked softly, letting go of the jeans.

He nodded sullenly, tossing the jeans back onto the bed. He began pacing the small room, feeling suddenly hot despite the cold December weather outside.

"Did Kathy leave, Elliot?" she asked gently after a long minute of quietness.

He bit his lip and continued to pace. "She says the job makes me too much to handle, too much to deal with. And she says I'm not home enough. She says I'm not there for the kids, for her."

He could feel his muscles tense and he wanted to take a swing at something. Anything. But he refrained, clenching his fists until his knuckles were white.

"Elliot," Olivia said softly. "Elliot," she said again. She touched his shoulder and he slumped onto the bed. She sat next to him, putting her hand on his knee.

"So, you can't go, Liv," he said simply, looking up at her with pleading blue eyes.

She sighed, turning away and dropping her gaze. "I'll be back, El."

"I don't want you to get hurt, though. Not again." Elliot couldn't believe he was actually saying these things, he never said these things. Especially to Olivia. But he'd thought them; he'd thought them for a long time. Now they were just… pouring out.

"I won't. I won't get hurt," she tried to assure him, though doubt laced her words. Undercover jobs were always risky, both of them knew that.

And the last time Olivia went undercover, she was never the same when she came back. It had taken her forever to get the courage, or weakness, to finally tell Elliot what had happened. Her partner, her best friend… she hadn't been able to tell him.

"You can't promise that," he said.

Both of them sat next to each other on the bed, feeling a quiet tension and awkwardness in the air between them. Neither of them dared move, or hardly breath.

They both knew what was coming, but neither of them wanted to say it.

"Elliot," Olivia finally said, breaking the quiet. "I'll be back. I promise."

He sighed as she got up and continued packing the suitcase uneasily.

"I know you'll be back," he said after several long minutes. He turned his body to face her. "I know you will. But…" he trailed off. "But I don't want you to get hurt again. And you can't promise that."

"It's just part of the job, Elliot. I'm going, you can't change that."

He sighed, giving up.

Olivia finally zipped up the suitcase after some difficulty. She pulled it off the bed and it hit the wooden floor with a thud.

She stood in the doorway as their gazes met, their eyes trying to mask the pain this was causing both of them.

Olivia opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by Elliot. "If you're going to say goodbye, then don't say anything."

She shut her mouth promptly.

Another silent, tensed minute passed as they looked at each other.

"Don't fall for anybody while I'm way. I don't want to have to pick up the pieces when I get back."

And with that, she left the room, leaving Elliot's sight. A slight grin crept across his face after she left, but he could feel his heart breaking at the same time.

* * *

_**A/N: ...Reviews? Please? I'm not gonna post more if I don't get many reviews (and "many" means at least like... more than 10.) Sorry, but I feel like my writing's gotten worse because I don't get reviews, and I don't want to post more if that's actually the case... But I do already have 7 chapters written, so if you really do**__** want more, leave reviews. Thankies!  
**_


	2. When We First Met

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, except the people who aren't part of the original show (Mr. Marino, Jamie Reid, and Daniel). Characters and show belong to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It means so much. So you get a new chapter very quickly. ^_^ Unfortunately, this chapter isn't very good and it's short, I'm sorry. The others are better and [most of them] are longer. Promise. This is sort of just a... a filler.**_

_**Oh, and one more thing. Not that I'm casting this story, but I pictured either Amy Smart or Cameron Diaz as Jamie Reid. Just so you know what she looks like...  
**_

* * *

A small gasp escaped her lips as the barber spun her chair around to face the mirror. She slowly put a hand to her head, running her fingers through her long blond hair.

It was almost twice as long as it had been before, and curly and thick. The thing that surprised Olivia was that it looked so… so natural. Like it had always been blond, and she had always lived in southern California with a tan. She looked like a different person.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Marino," she said as she smiled up at him, twisting her new hair in her fingers.

"You look gorgeous, Ms. Solis," he said with a thick Italian accent, running his fingers through her hair.

Olivia almost winced at the name. She hated her name for this job: Brooke. Brooklyn Solis.

* * *

"Can I help you?" Elliot asked uncertainly as a younger woman walked confidently up to his desk, a box in her hands. She dropped the box she was carrying on Olivia's empty desk. Elliot cringed at the sight, wondering how long Olivia would be gone.

"I'm Jamie Reid. You Stabler?" she asked, lifting her chin in question.

She seemed so certain, so confident. She didn't know that this job would make her crumble, much like it did to Dani.

"Yeah."

"I'm your new partner."

"Temporary partner," he corrected her.

She lifted an eyebrow. "Sure, whatever you say." She smiled at him and Elliot drew his breath in.

"Not again, not again…" he kept whispering to himself, looking away from her.

"What are you mumbling about?"

She was so assertive, so aggressive. "Nothing. Come on, let's go," he said, grabbing his blazer off the back of his chair.

"Go where?"

"New case, new crime scene. You'll get your first bite. We'll see if you can handle it," he grinned as an uneasy looked flashed across her blue eyes.

She pushed her side swept bangs out of her blue eyes and then tugged at her blond ponytail. "Alright, let's go," she said, trying to remain confident.

* * *

"Brooke! Brooke wait!" a voice shouted after her. She turned around to face him, her blond hair swinging.

"Hi," she said cheerfully. She noticed his black hair and bright blue eyes, and her mind wandered to Elliot. "Daniel, right? From the book club?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "Good memory for a new girl."

She smiled successfully and put a hand on her hip. "Did you want something from me?"

"Uh…" he began uncertainly, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away. She could tell that he was nervous. "I was wondering… You're a pretty girl, and you're new to town. I was wondering if you wanted to grab some coffee sometime, maybe I'll show you around." He bit his lip as he looked back to her.

Olivia took a deep breath in, unsure of how to respond. She couldn't get Elliot out of her mind as she looked on at him. His hair was longer and thicker than Elliot's, and he was much younger… but she couldn't get Elliot out.

"I don't know…" she began.

She stopped as she saw his cheeks turn bright red and he dropped his eyes to the ground.

"I'm sorry," she said, more gently. "But I just can't. I'm not a good spot in my life. Maybe some other time?"

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Yeah, sure."

"I'll see you next week, though," she tried to say more kindly, putting an uphill inflection on the sentence, making it sound almost like a question.

He nodded sadly. Olivia sighed heavily, feeling guilty, before turning and walking away. She kept her eyes to the ground.

* * *

"You okay?" Elliot asked, putting a hand to her waist gently.

She looked back up at him, a look of pain and disgust in her eyes. She leaned further over the bridge, looking down at the water. Elliot thought it looked like she was going to throw up.

"You okay?" he repeated.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I'll be fine."

Elliot sighed, taking his hand away from her waist and leaning on the rail. He looked from the flashing lights of the crime scene, then back to Jaime. He sighed again.

* * *

_**A/N: I hope you liked it alright... Okay... once again. I won't update without very "many" reviews. ;) So, if you want more, review please! Thanks!**_


	3. My Olivia

_**DISCLAIMER: I only own Jaime. Everything else, characters and show, belong to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: Okay... I know I didn't get ten reviews, but 7 is close enough. But thank you to everyone who did review! It means a lot to me. Here's the next chapter...  
**_

* * *

His eyes grew wide and a look of disbelief crossed them. "No," he whispered. "No, no, no."

Jaime came up behind him and leaned down next to him. "What?"

"No, no, no!" he shouted, his voice getting louder with each word. He stood up suddenly, knocking Jaime back into the desk behind them.

He threw the newspaper at the desk and sections went flying everywhere.

The whole room grew quiet and looked at Elliot. Cragen opened his office door. "What the hell is happening out here?" he asked angrily.

"You!" Elliot shouted, raising his hand and pointing a finger at Cragen. He walked briskly towards him. He jammed his finger in Cragen's face. "You," he whispered madly.

"What did I do, detective?"

"You let her go!" Elliot was shouting again. He had to restrain himself from swinging at Cragen.

He growled angrily and stormed out of the squad room.

"Do you know what he's talking about, Jaime?" Cragen asked after a hesitant moment, turning to face her.

"I have no idea," she said, holding up her hands in innocence. Then she leaned over and began picking up the papers. Cragen walked over and began helping her.

Cragen looked down at the paper in his hand. His eyes grew wide, as well. "Oh," he whispered sadly. "Oh, no..."

"What? What is it?"

Jaime took the paper from him and read the title of a small article out loud. "Four members of eco-terrorist group are killed after explosion." She continued to read the story. "Four more members of an eco-terrorist group are killed after an explosion in California yesterday." She looked up at Cragen. "California? Isn't that where Stabler's old partner is stationed?"

"Look at the names."

Jaime looked back down at the paper and looked to the end of the article. "The four victims were identified as Andrew Layne, Naomi Johnson, Miranda Quall, and Brooklyn Solis."

* * *

"Elliot?" came Jamie's soft voice from behind him.

That was the first time she'd called him by his first name. He didn't dare turn to look at her, though. He wasn't going to show her his tear stained eyes.

"Elliot, are you okay?" he voice was quiet, kind, and caring. He could sense her presence behind him, but he could also sense that she felt awkward.

She finally put her hand on his shoulder and sat next to him. "You wanna talk?"

He looked at her, a look of question across his face. They hadn't even been partners for two weeks, and she wanted to _talk_. He had sworn to himself that he wouldn't let this go anywhere. He had promised Olivia... But Olivia was gone now.

"Wanna go grab a drink?" she suggested.

He sighed, looking away again. "Sure. Maybe a drink will get my mind off of this."

* * *

There hadn't even been that many drinks. And Elliot knew that it wasn't the alcohol that done it, it was his weakness because of loosing the two most important things to him.

He sighed as he looked over at her sleeping figure. He stroked her bare back, feeling her soft skin. He leaned close to her, kissing her bare skin gently as he stroked her blond hair.

He was already kicking himself for falling. He promised Olivia he wouldn't, he promised her that he'd be waiting for her to come back and pick up the pieces of his broken heart, like she had always done... But Olivia broke her promise to him, too. She promised she was coming back, she promised she wouldn't get hurt... but she lied. She wasn't coming back. Not today, or tomorrow... or ever.

Elliot could feel his heart breaking all over again. He got up and went into the bathroom. He started the shower, making sure it was warm enough. He climbed into the tub, feeling the warmth of the water running over his body.

He stood there with his eyes closed as the water rushed over him. He could feel the water dripping off his chin and nose, but he wasn't sure it was water. He didn't realize he was crying, he didn't even realize how long he'd been standing there, until he heard Jaime knock on the door.

"Elliot?" she cried. "When are you getting out?" He heard her open the door. "Or should I come in and join you?"

"I'm sorry," he said, rubbing his cheeks and feeling the stubble. "I'll be out in a minute."

He heard her shut the door again and he slumped against the tiled wall, crying again. He buried his face in his hands, feeling the water and tears gather up in them. "Olivia..." he whispered to himself. "My Olivia..."

* * *

_**A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know people are going to kill me for this chapter... But really! It'll be okay! You just have to keep reading. So, I'm not giving a set amount of reviews... but I will tell you that the more reviews I get, the sooner the next chapter will go up, and the sooner you will find out what happens. **_;)


	4. It's Okay To Cry

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. :\**_

_**A/N: I'm sorry this chapter took a bit longer to update... I meant to put it up sooner, but my some of my files became corrupted and I couldn't access them... So I had to rewrite it. And this is the rewrite. It's not as good as the original, so If I can get the original back... I'll replace this chapter. I'm sorry this one is short, too...  
**_

_**Yeah... so. Next chapter things will get better, I promise.**_

* * *

He nestled himself in the cold, damp grass as the winter breeze caressed his face. He always came here when he was angry or upset... just to get away. And despite the cold weather, Elliot felt warm... It was always warm here. Because _she_ was always here. Tears began to come to his eyes as he looked at stone in front of him. It was a year ago that Elliot found out that Olivia had died, and had completely fallen apart. It was a year ago that he'd gotten her letter... her last words. He kept it with him everywhere he went; it was always in his pocket.

He ran his fingers across her name on the gravestone, feeling as though he could almost feel her...

He pulled the small piece of paper out from his pocket. It was worn and on the verge of falling apart from the year it had spent in his pocket. It had turned from a crisp white to a dull, creamy color.

He unfolded it carefully and smiled as he looked down at the curly, feminine handwriting. He began to read it aloud, as if to the grave in front of him.

"Elliot... I'm not supposed to be writing to you, or to anyone. But I couldn't bear it any longer if I kept hiding it from you. And in case I don't come back from this case, because we both know that's a possibility with undercover jobs... I needed to tell you, I needed to let you know." Elliot tried to laugh at her sense of, almost morbid, humor that she tried to keep in her writing.

He continued. "I love you, I always have. But you've always had Kathy and your kids, and you loved them so much. Then, a few years ago, when she first left... I thought maybe I could have you. But I could see you were too hurt for that. Then I left and you fell for Dani... And it broke my heart. So I quietly picked up the pieces and let you get your life back together. And then Eli came..." He paused, drawing in his breath.

"But I've loved you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I'm with you. I've loved you, not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you have made me... for what you still are making me. I've loved you for the part of me that you bring out. I've loved you because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good, and more than any fate could have done to make me happy. You've done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign. You've done it by being your stubborn old self." He choked out a laugh as he remembered all the times they had spent together, both good and bad...

He ran his fingers over the words. To someone just picking up the paper, they'd be almost too worn to read... but Elliot had read the letter over so many times, he had memorized each and every word.

"So, I hope you'll be waiting for me if I come back... when I come back. And I hope you haven't fallen for anyone while I'm away, because I don't want to pick up the pieces again. But if you're waiting for me, I'll be yours. Love always, Olivia."

Elliot clenched the letter to his chest as he broke down sobbing.

He hated crying, it was the worst feeling in the world. But he also hated bottling it up inside. He always felt like crying made him weak, less of a man... Olivia had convinced him otherwise. She always thought it made him stronger, it made him more human because he was able to feel those feelings... and express them. She convinced him it was okay to cry.

Olivia was the only one who ever saw him cry.

So right now, he felt it was okay to cry. It was okay to cry because... because she was here.

* * *

_**A/N: I hope it was alright... I'm not sure about this (rewrite) one... Please R&R! And remember, the more reviews, the sooner I update. ;)**_


	5. There's No Mistaking You

_**DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely nothing, as much as I beg.**_

_**A/N: Alright... I didn't want everyone to hate me for too long, or stop reading so... here's the part you all have been waiting for... Ya'll are gonna say "OMG! I knew it!" But honestly, I enjoyed writing this chapter. And it's not half bad... I don't want to spoil too much, so please just read and enjoy!**_

* * *

She pulled her thick blond hair up into a loose ponytail as she sighed and continued to restock the shelves.

"Hey, Claire," the young woman said as she bounced over to her, another box of supplies in her hands.

"Hey, Elizabeth," Claire said with a sigh, feeling exhausted. "Coming to help?"

"Yup. Robert told me to kick you into gear," Elizabeth said, setting the box down at their feet. "But listen, there was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Okay, shoot," Claire told the young college girl. She had a bad feeling about this, though...

"My dad is coming up soon, just for a visit... he's single and handsome, and _you're_ single and super sexy..." She stopped when she saw the look that Claire was giving her.

"I'm not really looking for a relationship, though. You know that. Plus, I have a daughter I need to take care of."

"Oh, come on, Claire! He'll only be here for a day. I have classes, too. Can't you at least show him around? He's never been to Ohio."

"You're classes are only a few hours long, Elizabeth. Can't he wait for that long? Besides, I would have to get a babysitter for Alise." Claire was whining. By this time, both of the women had stopped restocking shelves and were too involved in this conversation.

"Claire," Elizabeth began very seriously, dropping the notebook she was holding and putting her hands on Claire's shoulders. "Please? It'll only be a few hours and I swear, if you two don't get along, I won't push anything."

Claire looked Elizabeth squarely in the eye, studying her. She had always felt like she'd known the young girl, but she had no idea where from. For almost six months, Claire had been trying to figure it out. And despite the nearly thirty year gap between their ages, Claire and Elizabeth were great friends.

She finally sighed, giving into her friends pleas. "Alright, but just a couple hours. While you're at school."

"Yes!" Elizabeth said successfully. "We're going to pick him up after we get off work."

"Wait, what?" Claire asked, flustered.

"Yeah, did I forget to mention?" Elizabeth said, sounding almost sarcastic.

"I can't go tonight, Elizabeth. I haven't got anyone for Alise."

"Just ask Mrs. Warner to take her for a while. Please, Claire? I promise I won't make you take him around tomorrow if you guys don't get along tonight."

"I don't know..."

"Please, Claire? Please?" Elizabeth begged, tugging on her friend's sleeve.

Claire sighed heavily, tugging at the hair falling from her loose ponytail. "Alright, alright. Give me some time after work, though. I need to call Mrs. Warner, pick up Alise and drop her off."

"Oh, thank you, Claire! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said, throwing her arms around her.

* * *

The two women stepped out of the car. Elizabeth rushed to the doors, a very rushed Claire following close behind. "Elizabeth, wait!" she called after the eager young college student.

"He should be here already, Claire!" Elizabeth shouted back. "We're late! He's probably wondering where we are!"

They finally reached the gate that Elizabeth's father was supposed to arrive in, Gate E03. Elizabeth looked around the group of people as she stood on her toes. They crowd looked as though they had only arrived moments before the two women.

Spotting who she was looking for, Elizabeth turned to Claire. "Wait here," she told her enthusiastically.

Claire opened her mouth to say something, but Elizabeth was already gone. She watched her run to a man and fling herself into his arms. Her eyes widened as she saw the smiling man hug his daughter and spin her around. She suddenly knew where she was remembering Elizabeth from. She watched his mouth form words, and she thought Elizabeth was speaking, as well... But her eyes were fixated on him...

She immediately pulled her ponytail out, hiding her face behind her long blond hair. She dropped her brown eyes, too, when she saw Elizabeth point over towards her.

She moved her eyes up and looked through her blond hair towards them as Elizabeth dragged her reluctant father towards her as he rolled his eyes and grinned.

She could hear him as they drew closer. "Lizzie, I told you I don't want to see anyone just yet."

"Come on, daddy. It's been a year and a half. You need to start looking for someone again."

Claire bit her lip as she felt Elizabeth's fingertips touch her arm. "Come on, Claire. Say hi."

She choked back the tears that were already forming behind her eyes. She tried to think of a way out of this, but failed to come up with any.

The sounds of the world seemed to melt away, and all she could hear was his steady breathing. She looked up and brushed her blond hair out of her eyes.

He gasped. Blond hair or blue, there was no mistaking those chocolate brown eyes, those definite cheekbones, that strong jaw, that olive colored skin... "Olivia?"

* * *

_**A/N: =O... Yes! I told you it would all be okay! Next chapter will get into the whole ordeal... It'll all be explained. But, I think I'll bring back the "many" (10+) this time... so, please R&R! That way you'll get a new chapter faster. ;)**_


	6. Confessions

_**DISCLAIMER: I only own Alise and Mrs. Warner... Everything else belongs to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! Here is the next chapter for you, and I hope I explained everything that you had questions about... It's VERY long (for this story anyway...). I don't want to spoil it, so just read!**_

_**[PS - Alise is pronounced like Elise, but a little more like... Uh-lease.]  
**_

* * *

"I'm sorry, I have to go," she said hurriedly before rushing off. She ran down the halls as fast as her feet would carry her, and as fast as she could get through the crowds of people. She didn't even have to look back, she knew he was chasing her. And Elizabeth was probably chasing him.

This night had caught everyone off guard.

She got stuck behind a blockade of people, but tried to push her way through anyway without success.

"Shit!" she whispered harshly to herself. "He's gonna catch me and... and I'm not ready to face him just yet," she said under her breath to herself.

She felt a hand grab her arm and she turned to face him... for the first time in over a year. "But you need to face me... I need you to face me."

He had heard her whispering to herself. She wondered how long he had been standing there before grabbing her. She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't find any words... her throat was dry.

"I'm not letting you run away from me again."

She smiled weakly up at him, grateful to finally see his face again. Though still, she wasn't able to find any words to say to him.

"Why? Why Olivia?" he paused, taking in her reaction and waiting for a response. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly.

"Elliot, I – I..." she stuttered. "Please let me explain."

"Explain what?" he could feel his grip tightening on her arm, but he couldn't stop himself. "Explain how you're not dead? How you left without saying a word?"

He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out the worn, creamy paper. His voice became quieter. "How you send me this, then run away? Then go ahead, explain to me _why_."

Olivia bit her lip. She slowly reached up and took the paper from him. She unfolded it carefully. She recognized her handwriting and the words that she'd written to him so long ago. Tears began to build up behind her eyes as she looked back up to him.

"I couldn't not tell you how I felt, El... I would have ripped me apart inside... It's _been_ ripping me apart inside..."

"Why didn't you ever come back to New York? Are you under Witness Protection?"

"No, no... I'm not..." she trailed off as she folded the paper again.

"Then why the hell didn't you come home, why the hell didn't you tell me you weren't dead?"

"Because I couldn't, Elliot! I wasn't ready to face you, I'm still not ready to face you..." her voice started loud and angry at the beginning of the sentence, but trailed into a sad and quieter voice.

"Why the hell not?"

"Elliot, it's a long story... I'd need to start from the beginning."

"Then start."

Just then, a confused Lizzie joined the group. "What the hell is going on?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Elliot said, folding his arms and looking expectantly at Olivia.

"Lizzie," Olivia sighed, turning to the young woman. She cupped the girls face in both her hands, looking motherly at her. "Oh, Lizzie. You've grown up so much. I didn't even know who you were."

"Olivia?" Lizzie said, holding on gently to Olivia's forearms. "Dad told me you were dead... I haven't seen you in years. And you're hair! It's blond. _I_ didn't know who _you_ were." Lizzie seemed happier than Elliot about seeing Olivia.

Olivia looked back at Elliot, whose expression had remained unchanged. She sighed. "Let's go somewhere else. Then I'll explain everything to you, El."

* * *

She pushed open the door to her cold, dark apartment. Elliot and Lizzie followed her in as she turned the lights and heat on.

Olivia felt awkward having them in her small home, but tried to remain as calm as possible. "Can I get either of you something to eat or drink?" she asked.

Elliot slumped into the couch, too angry to say anything. Lizzie sat in one of the chairs near him. "No, we're both fine. Thanks, Clai – Olivia," Lizzie corrected herself.

She smiled weakly as she joined the two in the living room. She sat next to Elliot and put her hand on his knee. "El..." she began apologetically.

He looked at her and she saw the year of hurt in his eyes. Her heart and soul suddenly ached. "I... I told the other detectives that I was in too deep, and I needed out. So they faked my death, and..."

"Did they put you in Witness Protection?" Elliot tried to help her by finishing her sentence, though his voice was still harsh and angry.

Olivia shook her head. "No."

"No?"

"I was free to go home."

"So why didn't you?" Elliot was leaning forward on his knees, looking intently at Olivia as she watched herself twiddle her thumbs.

"I lied to them, El... I wasn't in too deep... I was – I was..." Olivia couldn't finish her sentence.

Elliot could see this was hurting her. He could see it was hard to talk about, still.

"Olivia? I've been through hell for the past year. I worked desk for months, I saw a shrink, and I fell. I fell because I'd lost you. I fell to my partner, Jaime Reid."

Anger and jealousy was suddenly bubbling up inside Olivia. She kept quiet.

"She left me and the department after you... you... after you died. Because I got that letter you wrote, and I realized that I didn't want anyone but you."

"Oh, Elliot," she sighed, the anger and jealousy melting away.

"You hurt me. So I think you at least owe it to me to tell me," his soft, gentle voice became stern.

"You don't think it hurt me? To walk away from everyone I know and loved, and everyone who knew and loved me? To walk away from the people that were like a family to me? You think that didn't hurt me, too?" her voice was gentle, but angry, too. "But, I suppose..."

Olivia sighed sadly again, seeing no way out. Just then, a loud knock on the door made everyone jump.

"Claire? Ms. Claire?" an old woman's voice came from the other side of the door.

Olivia got up and opened the door to a little old woman, holding a tired looking baby in her arms. "Did you want Alise back, just yet, Claire?" she asked.

She smiled at the little old lady and took the three month old child from her arms, giving the woman a relieved look as the child's weight was lifted. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Warner."

Olivia closed the door as the woman went back to her open apartment door across the hall.

Elliot looked on with an open mouth as Olivia came back into the room with the baby, now sleeping on her shoulder, in her arms.

Lizzie got up and took the baby from Olivia. "Hey Alise," she whispered gently as the baby fell asleep again on Lizzie's shoulder.

Olivia slowly turned back to Elliot, biting her lip.

"Alise?" Elliot asked quietly, trying to mask the hurt in his voice as Lizzie took Alise into the next room and shut the door.

"Elliot..." Olivia tried to begin, only to be cut off by him.

"You were sleeping around, Olivia?!" his voice growing louder and angrier with each word.

"No!" she shouted back in self defense.

He pointed back to the room where Lizzie had just taken Alise, leaning down to Olivia. His eyes were full of pain and anger. "You got pregnant, you have a daughter! Is that why you didn't come home? You didn't want to have to explain to me why you got pregnant?" His voice grew suddenly quiet. "Without me?"

"I didn't come home because I was afraid you wouldn't want me!" Olivia shouted back, leaning in close to him as well, tears staining her cheeks.

"Just because you have a daughter who's not mine, doesn't mean I wouldn't love you. I know you've wanted a baby, Liv. I don't care if she's not mine."

Olivia sighed and rolled her eyes away, looking out the window at the black sky. "I didn't come home because I couldn't tell you that I got pregnant, and I kept the baby..." she sighed heavily. "I kept the baby of my rapist."

Elliot's eyes filled with guilt as he looked at Olivia. His heart had just begun to heal, and he suddenly felt it breaking all over again. "Olivia, I didn't mean..."

"Didn't mean what?" she snapped angrily, turning her gaze back to him. She saw the hurt on his face, but she didn't care right now. "Didn't mean what, Elliot?"

"I didn't mean – I didn't know... I'm sorry, Livvie," his voice was sincere.

"Don't call me Livvie," she said wiping away her tears. "And don't say you're sorry. Not until you really mean it."

She pushed past him as he stood speechlessly in her living room. He turned to say something to her, but she slammed her bedroom door before he could open his mouth. Elliot sighed heavily.

He knocked on the door to the nursery. "Lizzie? Lizzie, sweetheart, I..." Elliot never finished his sentence.

A flustered, upset Lizzie opened the door, her eyes red and cheeks tear stained.

"Liz," Elliot sighed, seeing his daughter.

Lizzie pointed to the crib that Alise was sleeping in. Elliot sighed and walked up to it. He looked down at the baby, his heart aching. He stroked her black hair and soft skin, which wasn't quite as dark as Olivia's. "What color are her eyes?" he asked so softly that Lizzie almost couldn't hear him.

"She's got her mom's eyes," Lizzie replied just as softly.

It was right then that Elliot noticed the small sliver name tag nailed to the crib. He ran his fingers across the letters and smiled.

_Alise Nicole Stabler_

"God, that woman knows just how to make me love her."

* * *

_**A/N: Okay, I hope that answered all your questions... Please R&R! You'll get more chapters quicker that way. ;)**_


	7. Firsts

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Nada. Zilch. It all belongs to Señor Wolf.  
**_

_**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! I love getting reviews. Here's the next chapter... sorry it's pretty short... But I hope you like it, none the less.**_

* * *

He knocked lightly on the door. "Olivia?" he called softly. "Olivia, can I come in?"

There was no response, so Elliot pushed open the door. He saw Olivia curled up on the blue sheets that covered the queen sized bed. She buried her face in the pillows when he came in. "Go away!" she shouted.

"Olivia," he sighed sadly, sitting next to her on the bed. "I'm sorry, Liv. I really am."

She didn't know how to respond, so she didn't say anything. All that she wanted to do was roll over and cry in his arms and tell him how much she really did miss him. She was too strong for that, though.

"You know just how to make me love you, don't you?" he asked after several long minutes, stroking the curves of her back gently.

She sat up and turned to him, question in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean Alise." He looked at her with his blue eyes, but he felt like he was looking straight into her soul. "Why'd you give her my name?"

Olivia blushed and dropped her eyes. She answered his question in her head, but the words never escaped her mouth.

"Livvie?"

"I gave her your name because I thought... I thought maybe someday, you'd love her like your own... because she looks like you." Her gaze remained down.

"I already love her like she's mine. I don't care if she doesn't have my blood, she _is_ mine." He paused and took Olivia's hand, rubbing circles on the back of her it with his thumb. "Because you're mine."

Her eyes shot up to him, the tears behind them dissolving away. She searched his eyes. Had he really just said that, had he really just made her his? Was it true?

A smile crept across her face as she looked up at him.

"Did you mean what you said in that letter a year ago?"

The tears were coming back to her eyes. But this time, they weren't out of sadness. "Each and every word."

She suddenly fell into him. Elliot felt off guard, surprised. But he put his arms around her, for what felt like the first time.

And as far as they were concerned, it might as well have been. It was the first time they'd held each other in that way, anyway. It was the first time that he held her as _his_.

She looked up to him, her eyes, surprisingly, dry. A special tenderness suddenly fell across his eyes, a tenderness that he'd never felt with Kathy... a tenderness that only Olivia knew.

He slowly put his hand to her face and cupped her cheek. She closed her eyes and nuzzled into his palm, feeling the warmth of his hand. He leaned down and his lips grazed hers as he softly breathed on her skin.

He pressed his lips against hers, passionately kissing her. She moaned quietly into his mouth as their tongues met.

She cupped his jaw in both her hands, drawing him closer as he ran his fingers through her long blond hair, cradling her head.

"Ew! Get a room!" came a voice from the doorway.

Elliot and Olivia's lips parted as they looked over to Lizzie, still holding each others' faces.

Elliot smiled. "Excuse me, young lady, but I thought we did have a room."

"Oh... I suppose you do. Sorry," she said as she shut the door, blushing.

"Now," Elliot said, turning back to Olivia. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck as his free hand fell to her waist. "Where were we?" he said, grinning.

He leaned back down and continued to kiss her passionately.

"El," she said between fiery kisses. "El," she said again, pushing him away for a minute. She gave him a bright, broad smile. "It's our first kiss."

He smiled back, chuckling slightly. "Yeah, it is." He paused for a minute, looking into her beautiful brown eyes, glad that Alise had them. "Why'd you stop it?" he asked, curling his lip playfully.

He leaned back into him, kissing him softly.

* * *

_**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Please R&R! This time... I'm bringing back 10+. And, this time, it means 10+... it doesn't mean 7 or 8 will cut it... so please review if you want more of this story. ;)**_

_**[I'm sorry... I don't want to sound mean or demanding... but I just... I like reviews. o_O (RJ = Selfish b*tch.)]  
**_


	8. Help Me Pack

_**DISCLAIMER: I only own Alise. Everything else belongs to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: Thank you guys! I really do love reviews... [I know, I'm a selfish b*tch. I acknowledge that.] So, here you go. Next chapter. I'm sorry it's not that long, either...**_

* * *

A loud crying came over the baby monitor. Olivia sighed and rolled over, about to throw her feet over the edge of the bed. Suddenly, she heard a shh-ing sound and Alise's cried quieted.

She bolted into the next room, her eyes full of fear. _Not my baby_, her thoughts rushed. She slid into the doorway in her socks, protection crossing her eyes.

She looked on at the young woman holding her daughter and bouncing her gently. "Shh," she was whispering. "Let mama sleep."

The woman turned and saw Olivia and smiled broadly. "Hey, Liv. I'm sorry she woke you, I was trying-" She was cut off.

"Elizabeth? Why are you…" Suddenly the events from the night before poured back into her head. She remembered. "Elliot," she whispered.

"I'll take care of Alise, Liv. Go back to bed," Lizzie said gently, continuing to rock a calming Alise in her arms.

Olivia shook her head, returning to reality. "Have you been here all night?"

Lizzie shrugged. "Didn't have a way home after you two fell asleep. I didn't want to wake you, or dad." Lizzie smiled, glad that she knew that her dad was finally happy. "I'm just crashing on the couch for night, if that's alright."

Olivia smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Yeah. Yeah, it's fine Lizzie."

She turned on her heals, sliding slightly in her socks, and went back to bed. She smiled as she saw Elliot's sleeping figure, she was glad she hadn't woken him up. She sat gently on the bed, making sure not to wake him.

He stirred in his sleep. "Liv," he whispered sleepily.

"I'm here, Elliot. I'm here."

She grinned as she stroked his short, black hair. It had thinned so much in just one year. She tried to remember how much thicker it had been when they first met. She couldn't seem to remember for the life of her. It had always been a day to day progression, so she had never noticed the changes. But being apart from him for over a year… she realized just how much he had changed.

Not just physically, either. He'd changed emotionally. He was softer, weaker…. because of her, because she left. But it was only emotionally, of course. From what she could tell, he was just as strong, if not stronger than he had been a year ago. He always worked out when he was stressed or upset.

She ran her fingers across his strong arms, promising herself that she'd never let him go.

She laid down on the pillows, putting her face close to his as she entwined her fingers in his. She pulled his limp hand up and kissed his knuckles gently, smiling at his sleeping face.

This was probably the most peaceful she had ever seen him, sleeping calmly. In her bed, none the less, and as hers...

She nuzzled under his chin softly, getting into the crook of his neck. She sighed contently and let herself drift off to sleep.

* * *

"Liv?" he said quietly, shaking her gently. "Olivia?"

"Hmm?" she mumbled tiredly as she put her hand over her eyes, trying to block out as much light as she could.

"Livvie, it's almost eleven. Lizzie just went to class."

"Eleven?" she asked tiredly, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Alise isn't crying?" her question almost sounded like a statement.

"No, I've been taking care of her. I gave her a bottle and I-" he stopped mid-sentence when Olivia leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his body.

"Thank you, Elliot," she whispered, shutting her eyes. "You're a good dad."

He put an arm around her shoulder. "I've done it a few too many times," he chuckled.

There was a pause and the small apartment grew silent.

"Olivia?" Elliot asked, beginning to rub calming circles on her shoulder.

"Hmm…?" she moaned quietly, nearly asleep again, her arms still around Elliot.

"Would you book a flight back with me?"

She pulled away from him, wide awake now. She looked up at him with question in her brown eyes, drawing her brow in. He meant it, he actually meant it…

"I don't know if I'm ready, Elliot."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me that you and Alise are coming with me," he said simply and promptly.

She wanted to slap him. It had been one day, _one_ day. And it was already like they'd been together for eleven years…

_Hell_, she thought. _We __have__ been together for eleven years_… Olivia chuckled at her own thoughts.

"What are you laughing about?"

"Nothing, nothing. You've got to give me more than a few hours to pack, though."

He smiled down at her. "Sure, sure. Of course. I'll just call the airport and cancel my ticket."

He began to stand up, but found Olivia clinging tightly to his wrist. He looked back down at her. Her brown eyes looked pleadingly up at him. "Help me pack?" she said, pouting her lip.

He had to restrain himself from bursting out laughing as he remembered the last time that he'd try to help her pack. Of course, that time, he was trying to _prevent_ her from leaving.

* * *

_**A/N: I hope you liked it! Please R&R! [10+? Yes please. o_O]**_


	9. Doors

_**DISCLAIMER: I only own Alise. Everything else belongs to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: Thank you guys SO much! You really have no idea how good it makes me feel to get reviews. So, here you go. Next chapter. Sorry it's pretty short... Next one's pretty long. :)**_

* * *

She sighed successfully as she stood up, straightening her back. She rubbed her neck tiredly and looked on at the nearly empty house. She bit her lip as she thought about the past year she'd spent here and how great it had been, but also how heartbreaking it had been…

"Ready?" a sudden voice came from behind her, making her jump.

She turned as Elliot put an arm around her waist, the other supporting the small baby who smiled at them. Olivia pressed her lips gently against his. "Ready."

She took the over packed suitcase and pulled it off the mattress that used to be her bed. It hit the wooden floor with a loud thud and Elliot chuckled.

"What?" she asked sternly but playfully.

"Nothing," he sighed. "It's just that… that the last time I'd helped you pack, you were leaving me. Now you're leaving with me." He grinned, almost smirking.

Olivia rolled her eyes and took Alise from Elliot's arms as the got to the front door. She turned, with her daughter in her arms, to face the house one last time. She took Alise's small hand in hers and leaned in close to her daughter's face. It was right then that Elliot realized how much they looked alike.

"Say bye-bye house," Olivia said playfully, waving Alise's hand gently.

Instead, all Alise did was squeal excitedly and swing her feet. Elliot chuckled under his breath, noticing how cute both of them were… how cute _his_ girls were…

Olivia turned to Elliot. "And hello to home," she said, a more serious tone in her voice.

Elliot leaned down and kissed Olivia. He loved each and every kiss; it felt like their first kiss each time, magic drifting between them.

Suddenly, and to both adults surprise, Alise reached up from her mother's arms and put her tiny hand gently on Elliot's jaw. They both looked down at her, her brown eyes smiling up at them. "Dah-dah!" she exclaimed.

Both Elliot and Olivia's mouths dropped open, surprised at Alise's attempt to form her first word, to form Elliot… to form daddy.

"Yeah," Olivia encouraged sweetly, nuzzling her daughter's nose with hers. "Daddy."

She looked to up to Elliot as she bit her lip, wonder flashing in her eyes. "Yeah? Daddy?" she said to him, as if asking, putting a pause between the words.

He took Alise from her arms and held her above his head, nuzzling her as she giggled delightedly. He smiled up at her. Those brown eyes had always made him weak in the knees…

"Yeah, daddy," he replied, almost as if to himself as he brought Alise down and held her in his arms. She swung her feet as she continued to smile up at him, entwining her small fingers in his shirt for support.

Olivia leaned over and kissed her daughter's head gently, tears forming behind her eyes. She looked away, trying to hide them from Elliot. But he saw, he always saw…

"Hey, what's wrong, Liv?" he asked gently, holding her chin and drawing face back to look at him. She kept her gaze averted from his, still trying to hold back the tears.

"Nothing, I'm just… I'm so… so glad." She paused as she slowly brought her brown eyes to look up at him. "I'm so glad that you wanted me, you didn't think I was damaged goods… I'm so glad that you wanted Alise."

His eyes smiled down at her and Olivia felt as though her knees were about to give out form under her. Because his eyes made her weak, too…

"I'd never leave you. Never, Liv." His voice was so sincere, so kind and protective…

"I know you wouldn't."

Alise leaned her head on Elliot's chest and shut her eyes. He rubbed her back gently and kissed the top of her head. He looked back up to Olivia. "Shall we?"

A wide grin crossed Olivia's face as she slid her fingers between his on his free hand. "Let's," she said confidently.

Both of them turned away from the empty apartment that had housed so many memories for Olivia… for both of them.

Grabbing the suitcase and pulling it behind her, Elliot and Olivia walked away, shutting the door behind them. Shutting the door to their old lives, and opening the door to their new one… their new one as a family.

* * *

_**A/N: I hope you liked it! Please R&R! I'm not making anyone review anymore... but you know? The more reviews, the sooner the chapter goes up. ;) (Plus you'd make me feel good...)**_


	10. Arguments and Alcohol

_**DISCLAIMER: I only own Alise. Characters and show belong to Mr. Dick Wolf. **_

_**A/N: I'm sorry! I meant to do this yesterday, but I got caught up in some other things. So, here is the new chapter, like I promised. Thank you (once again) to everyone who reviewed! This one's a bit longer, and I hope you enjoy it. ^_^**_

* * *

She sighed heavily, tucking her blond hair behind her ear as she leaned against the cold window. She looked down at the ground passing beneath her, cities and roadways and wide open land.

It hasn't even been one week. Five days, _five_ days, Olivia kept thinking to herself. It's only been five days since I've seen him for the first time in over a year… And I'm already flying home with him.

She smiled to herself at the sound of the word. Home. It sounded so warm, so right. Before, it had just been a cold, meaningless word. It hadn't meant anything. It was just the apartment she'd lived in. Now? Now she was actually going _home._

"Are you going to grow it out?" Elliot's sudden voice startled her, making her jump.

"Huh?" she asked, drawing her brow in, in question.

"Your hair," he stated simply. "Are you growing it out?"

"Um… I hadn't really thought about it." She tugged at the split ends of her dyed hair.

"Are you going to dye it again?" His questions seemed so… so calm, so usual. She hadn't expected that, especially from him.

"Why? Do you like it like this?" she asked playfully, almost seductively as she twisted her hair around her finger.

He smiled. He loved having her back, knowing her sense of humor again. Having her as her old self again, despite the blond hair. "Kinda…" he admitted.

She raised one eyebrow. She hadn't really expected him to like it. But really, what had she expected? He liked blond girls, that was almost obvious with Kathy and Dani… But she didn't think he'd like blond hair on _her_. "Really?"

"Yeah." He saw the look on her face. "But I liked you better as a brunette," he added hastily.

She grinned and turned her gaze back to the surroundings passing outside her window.

"I was just wondering because it's already starting to grow out, back to your old color," Elliot said, quite softly.

Olivia turned back to him. He had closed his eyes and was stroking Alise's black hair gently with his index finger.

She smiled, seeing only a father and his daughter. Her heart swelled at the sight of them. Both of them were hers, her family.

* * *

They dumped their luggage at their feet as they entered the house, relieved at the weight that was suddenly removed.

Olivia moaned tiredly and made her way to the couch, slumping into it and shutting her eyes.

Elliot shut the door and went to sit next to Olivia, Alise sleeping soundly on his chest. He put his arm around her and she fell into him.

"Would you like to come with me tomorrow?" he asked gently, shutting his eyes and feeling suddenly tired himself.

"Come where?" she mumbled back.

"Where you think? The station, dufus," he said with a chuckle, as if it had been obvious the whole time.

She pulled away from him, suddenly alert. She knit her brow in concern and her eyes held fear that she tried to mask from him. "What are you talking about?" she asked angrily.

"You know? Come back and see everyone."

She opened her mouth, trying to say something… wanting to say something. But the words got caught in her throat.

"Olivia?"

"I can't, Elliot," she finally managed.

He sat up, sitting on the edge of the couch. "Why not?"

She simply looked at him, dumbfounded.

After a long minute, she was able to find the words again. "Because I'm not ready. I'm not ready to face everybody. Hell," she said, standing up and pacing away from Elliot, "I wasn't even ready to face you!"

She threw her hands in the air and sighed, frustrated. Did he really not get it?

"How long then?" Elliot asked, his voice stern and angry. "How long do you need? Another week of hiding? Another _month_? You're going to have to face them eventually."

"No, no I don't. I don't _need_ to face anyone. I wouldn't have _needed_ to face _you_ if you hadn't shown up in my life."

A sudden look of hurt passed behind his eyes, but he didn't let his guard down.

She sighed, looking down at her feet. "But I am going to face them. You just have to give me time, Elliot. I just need a little more time…" She looked back up to him, her eyes full of mist.

She walked back to Elliot. She leaned up and kissed him gently, taking Alise from him.

The little girl stirred and opened her eyes sleepily.

"Hey, baby girl," Olivia cooed quietly, holding Alise above her head. "You're going to meet your family soon, sweetheart."

She drew Alise close to her chest and kissed her forehead before setting her down in the baby seat that they had dragged with them from Ohio.

She turned back to Elliot, putting a hand on her hip. "What did you expect me to do? Just come back and say 'Hi guys, how is everything? Sorry I've been gone for a year, let's get back to work. Oh, and by the way, I have a daughter now. What's the next case?'"

"No," he said, almost defensively. He couldn't believe that's what she thought he wanted her to do. He knew she wasn't ready for that. "I expect you to explain what happened to them, too. I expect that you to come see the people who love you and care about you, and let them know why you disappeared, why they thought you were dead… I expect that you'll ease your way back to work."

"I don't know if I want to come back to work, though, El."

His eyes grew wide and his eyebrows rose. "What are you talking about?" Why was she talking crazy like this? Of course she was coming back… it was her passion.

"I mean, I don't know if I want to be a detective anymore."

"You have to come back, Livvie."

"Why? I've been satisfied with my life the way it's been."

"But you're not _happy_."

Olivia sighed, folding her arms. She didn't know how to explain to him… "Maybe not. But I don't want to put my job before my daughter. And being happy with my job is something I'm willing to sacrifice for her."

"Come on, Liv. You know you want to come back; you know you _should_ come back," he tried to convince her.

She dropped her jaw in surprise. She knew he was going to try to convince her, but she never thought he'd try to force it on her.

He stepped closer to her and she raised a hand and slapped him across the face. She had to restrain herself from swinging at him.

He looked back up to her, his eyes full of anger. He nearly took a swing at her, but remembered that she was Olivia, not a perp… Not someone he could ever touch; not someone he _would_ ever touch…

"I don't even know why the hell I came back with you! This was stupid!" she stormed off, her back hunched angrily.

She found the kitchen and began rifling through the cabinets hastily. Elliot appeared in the doorway, the fire behind his eyes dimed.

She noticed his presence, but didn't acknowledge him. She continued to rifle through the cabinets. "Where do you keep your alcohol?" she asked him finally.

"Don't got alcohol," he lied.

"Yes you do. I know you, Elliot. I know all the hiding places, too. Don't think I won't find it."

He sighed as she stumbled upon the bottle of Bacardi 151 he kept under the sink for especially stressful nights.

"Want some?" she asked as she pulled down two shot glasses and poured the liquid into both of them. She reached out and offered one of the glasses to Elliot.

He sighed again and took it.

* * *

_**A/N: This isn't over. The next chapter deals with this, sort of... disagreement. Again, I won't make anyone review... But I do like reviews, so it'd be nice if you left one. Plus, you'd get the next chapter sooner. ;D**_


	11. Getting Even

_**DISCLAIMER: I own... Nothing. :\ (Well, except for Alise...)  
**_

_**A/N: Alrighty... well thank you to everyone who reviewed. I appreciate it. ^_^ I'm sorry this one's a little short... Next one's longer. Read and enjoy!**_

* * *

Both of them already felt unsteady on their feet as they finished their second shot. Olivia pushed herself onto the counter and leaned against the cabinets, shutting her eyes again. "You're an asshole," she informed him.

"Screw you," he said, slurring his words slightly.

Olivia poured each of them another glass. She downed it and began to pour herself another glass. Elliot wanted to reach out and stop her, but he could feel the alcohol clouding his judgment… and vision. He downed the glass that Olivia poured him.

She slid off the counter, swaying slightly. Elliot reached out a hand to steady her. She slapped him away.

"Don't touch me," she said angrily, her words slurring. She could hold her liquor better than he could…

She stormed out of the kitchen and back into the living room, almost forgetting that her daughter was sleeping there. Elliot followed her, downing the next shot in his glass.

He wasn't about to let her run off. Not by herself anyway.

He took the bottle from her and poured himself some more as she glared at him. "Why did I ever put up with you for so long? Why did I come back?" she asked, mostly to herself, her words slurring even more.

She could see that the alcohol was affecting him more than it was her, and she wanted to be on the same level as him… she wanted to be even.

She snatched the bottle back. She looked from the bottle to the glass in her hand. She set the glass down with a little more force than intended. It hit the table with a loud clinging sound, making Elliot jump slightly.

She put the bottle to her lips and began gulping it down.

Elliot yanked it away from her and some of the content poured down her chin and onto her shirt. She wiped away the alcohol from her face, glaring at him again. "Asshole."

"Not the 151, Liv," he slurred.

His eyes were red, bloodshot, because of the alcohol. So were hers…

She swayed, stumbling forward slightly. Elliot reached out again and grabbed her wrists, pulling them to his chest. He didn't have to say anything, his blue eyes said all of it…

She looked up at him, her brown eyes red from the alcohol and tearing from… from everything else.

"Let go of me!" she shouted, yanking her hands away from him. She pushed past him, looking as though she was heading for the door. "I just want to be mad at you. Just for a while…"

"Fine, run away then. Run away like you always do."

She turned to him, fire burning in her eyes. She stomped back to him angrily, shoving a finger to his chest. "Don't you _go_ there, Elliot. You know why I had to…"

She wanted to hit him, to knock some sense into him. Instead, she slumped into the couch, shutting her eyes to try to block the tears from coming to them. She fell over, putting her feet up and her hands behind her head. She tried to remain calm and unmoved by him… But he made it so hard…

Elliot fell next to her, putting the bottle of Bacardi 151 on the coffee table. He laid his head on her stomach, shutting his eyes.

"Elliot?" she said quietly.

"Yes, Olivia?"

She paused, breathing deeply. "I'm tired."

He chuckled lightly to himself, thinking it was slightly anticlimactic. It wasn't what he had expected. And suddenly, he felt tired himself. "Me too," he mumbled.

Olivia began to run her fingers through his thinning black hair. The slight pressure she applied felt so good, so soothing. Elliot slipped his hands around her waist, hugging her body to his face. She was so warm…

"G'night, big boy," she mumbled, her words slurring together.

"Goodnight, my Olivia…"

* * *

_**A/N: I hope it was okay... I wasn't sure about this one... Please R&R! No, I'm not requiring reviews anymore... But it would be very nice. ;)  
**_

_**PS - You guys have officially caught up with me. I'm working on the next chapter right now, but it might take a day or two longer to post... I'm going to try to get this story finished before I leave for... Wait for it, wait for it... CHINA! Anyway, I'm hoping I can finish this for you before I leave...**_


	12. Facing Family

_**DISCLAIMER: I own only Alise. Everything else belongs to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: Umm... Where to start... I guess that the last chapter wasn't very good, people didn't like it very much... I'm sorry I disapointed... I hope I've redeemed myself at least a little with this chapter. I'm sorry, this might be the last chapter, too...**_

* * *

She stood outside the building, tugging at her blond hair. It had grown out even more in the past week since she'd come home. Alise was strapped to her back, also tugging at her mother's hair.

Olivia looked the old, gray building up and down, debating whether or not to go inside. She finally sighed deeply and stepped inside.

It was exactly how she had remembered it: busy, dull, and inattentive. She took a deep breath and walked towards the squad room.

She looked into the small window and saw Fin hand Munch a cup of coffee. She noticed Cragen come into the room from his office. Munch and Fin looked up at him and she noticed him talking to them as he handed Munch a manila folder.

Olivia turned and managed to make it a few steps away from the door before it opened behind her. She froze in mid-stride.

She must have looked quite out of place, with bright blond hair and a baby strapped to her back.

"Ma'am? Can I help you?" She smiled as Fin spoke. She loved to hear his voice again. Still, she remained frozen in her spot.

Alise giggled as she continued to play with Olivia's hair, tossing it above her head.

"Ma'am?" Fin asked again.

Olivia flinched as Fin's hand touched her shoulder. He turned her to face him. She let her blond hair fall out of her face as she looked up at him, biting her lip.

She thought his heart may have stopped because he remained frozen in spot with wide eyes for quite a while.

"Fin?" Munch asked as he came out of the squad room.

He came to see what made Fin freeze on this new woman…

A long moment passed as he saw Olivia. She looked between them with hopeful eyes.

"Olivia?" Munch finally said quietly.

* * *

"And Alise?" Fin asked after hearing Olivia's story.

Cragen sat in Olivia's old chair and looked up at her while she sat facing Fin on top of her old desk. He sat in his own chair at his own desk with folded hands while Munch sat on his desk, bouncing Alise on his knee.

"She's mine, right, Liv?" Munch asked playfully.

Olivia grinned. "Yeah, John. She's yours."

Then the whole room grew eerily quiet.

She dropped her gaze and shifted uncomfortably. "I was raped..." she admitted quietly.

All dropped eyes shot up to her and she felt even more uneasy. "What?" Cragen said immediately, his voice strong but laced with concern.

"Yeah," she nodded. "This guy in the book club... Daniel something or other..." She turned her head slightly to look at Cragen below her. "I rejected him." She breathed a chuckle, trying to relieve some of the tension.

Munch, being his quirky old self, tried to lighten the mood, too. He turned Alise towards the group and took her tiny hands in his. "Hey, look on the bright side! _Munch_kin!" he said, nuzzling the side of Alise's face with his nose.

Olivia smiled at them and chuckled.

The doors suddenly swung open and Elliot stepped in. "Olivia?" he asked.

"Hi," she smiled weakly, standing up and walking over to him. She drew herself up and kissed him gently. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was coming…" she whispered. Her eyes pleaded up to him for forgiveness.

He grinned. "It's fine, Liv. It's fine."

"It's just… I needed to-"

"Liv," he interrupted her. He held her face in his hands and looked sincerely into her eyes. "Really, it's fine."

"Wait, what?" Munch asked from behind.

Both turned to look at him as he stood up, supporting Alise easily. Olivia suddenly blushed and pulled away from Elliot. As soon as she did, his hand flew to her waist and drew her back closely.

She looked up to him as he smiled almost successfully at Munch over her head. She grinned and blushed again, her head falling to rest on his chest as she tangled her fingers in his shirt.

"You two are…" Fin began, trailing off, his finger running between the two.

"When'd _that_ happen?" Munch laughed.

Elliot rolled his eyes at Munch's sarcastic comment. Olivia blushed even more and hid her face in Elliot's shirt, feeling rather childish but not caring at the moment.

"Ohio," Elliot informed the room. "When I went to see Lizzie," he looked down at Olivia still buried in his shirt, "and found this one there, too."

Olivia pulled away, her face bright red and burning. "Is it just me, or is it hot in here?" she asked, fanning at her face with her hand.

"Just you," Cragen grinned.

"Well," she sighed. "I think I'm going to step out for just a moment to get some fresh air."

Olivia stepped briskly away from the group and the squad room. She sighed, feeling as though as great weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

She slumped against the wall and fell to the ground, burying her face in her knees. For the first time in a long, _long_ time she felt… Loved. Truly and honestly loved. Her heart expanded in her chest at the feeling and she grinned.

She could hear a pair of clicking heels draw closer to her and she looked up.

A blond woman with a strong jaw and cheekbone, poised walk, and courage filled blue eyes walked past her, not noticing, or perhaps caring, that this woman was sitting at her feet. She pushed through the squad room doors and disappeared.

Olivia pushed herself up, her heart beating fast again. She followed the woman through the squad room doors just as she spoke. "Who's the kid?" she asked. Her voice was so… so… Olivia couldn't come up with a word. It sounded as though she were just another victim, not someone she cared deeply about.

The whole room turned their gazes to Olivia and the blond woman turned, too.

Her mouth dropped in awe and she nearly dropped the briefcase she was carrying.

"Alex!" Olivia cried, flinging herself into her friend's arms.

Alex, uneasy at first, quickly embraced her in a tight hug. "Olivia! Where'd you go?"

Olivia sighed as she pulled away, not wanting to tell this story one more time.

But, she figured, it was family… And she'd do anything for family.

* * *

_**A/N: Alright, please R&R. I want to know if you want me to continue it further or not... If so, it probably won't be done before China. :)**_


	13. I Love You

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Only Alise.**_

_**A/N: First of all, a warning. The beginning of this chapter is... a bit "M rated." So, just be warned. And skip it if you want. It was mostly just... filler anyways. So, enjoy the rest I guess. :)**_

* * *

The door swung open and he pinned her against the wall, her fingers grasping at the back of his head as he clawed at her clothes, pulling them away and kissing her bare skin. She hitched her legs around his waist and moaned loudly as he cupped her lacy bra in one strong hand, massaging it gently.

He threw her to the bed and pounced at her, his eyes flashing excitedly. She giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He kissed his way down her jaw and neck, stopping at her shoulder.

She ripped his shirt open and tore it off, throwing it aside. She automatically pushed him over and pinned him to the bed. She smiled down at him, her hair falling in her face.

Her hair had grown out so much and her natural brown was nearly to her chin. She had cut most of the excess hair off, desperate to finally rid herself of the unnatural feeling the blond hair gave her.

She tucked the hair behind her ear and pawed quickly at his belt, trashing it aside as well. She pulled at his pants, yanking them down to his ankles and he kicked them off. He once again pinned her to the bed as her panties came off.

Both of them stopped and breathed heavily for a minute as they looked into each others' eyes, almost daring each other to move.

Olivia slowly pushed herself up, sitting nervously in front of him as she bit her lip.

He sat back. "Livvie," he began softly. "are you sure?"

She cupped his cheek in her hands and kissed his lips gently. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life, El," she told him with a smile.

She rolled him over so he was lying on his back and her eyes grew suddenly fierce with excitement. She dug her nails into his chest and pulled down towards his waist.

* * *

Her eyes flickered open slowly. She blinked and tried to adjust her eyes to the early morning light that was pouring in. She yawned and stretched, rolling over in Elliot's arms. She smiled up at him as she stroked his bare chest gently.

She never thought this day would happen. She never thought she'd ever have sex again after she had been raped. She almost feared it, actually. The flashbacks from that night, the flashbacks from Sealview... She always thought it would all come rushing back into her head as soon as she was pinned to that bed... But it didn't. And she finally figured out why. Because _having sex_ and _making love_ were two very different things. And with Elliot? With Elliot she was making love.

She smiled again and nuzzled into the crook of his neck. Just as she shut her eyes, a loud crying came over the monitor.

Olivia sighed and Elliot's eyes jumped open as he flinched. "I've got it, don't worry," she told him quietly, sanding up and kissing the tip of his nose.

He smiled and shut his eyes again, rolling over and putting a pillow over his head.

Olivia grabbed Elliot's shirt off the ground and buttoned it up to just bellow her collarbone. It fell loosely to her thighs.

She went to Alise's room and picked her up gently. She attempted to stop her crying as she looked up to her mother, hiccuping slightly. She was just over one year old now.

"Hey, baby girl," Olivia cooed softly. "What's wrong, honey?"

"Yum-yum, mama. Yum-yum," Alise hiccuped, her tears falling off her cheeks.

Olivia smiled. "Alright, let's go get you some food." She adjusted her daughter's weight on her hip and carried her to the kitchen, placing her in her high-chair.

She sliced a banana and handed it to Alise, who happily gobbled it up. "Mo! Mo!" she exclaimed as she reached out and grabbed at the air for more.

Olivia chuckled as she handed Alise the apple slices she'd been cutting. Alise gnawed happily on them.

At that moment, Elliot stumbled sleepily into the kitchen. Olivia glanced over as Alise shouted. "Dah-dee!"

"Hey you," Olivia said, putting the knife down as Elliot pulled a bowl and box of cereal down. He pulled the milk out of the fridge just as Olivia wrapped herself in his arms, giggling into his neck.

"What are you doing?" Elliot chuckled, putting his arms around his waist.

She pulled back and looked up into his eyes. She kissed him gently. "I love you, Elliot," she whispered. She smiled.

Elliot brow furrowed as he grinned. Three little words... He never thought three little words could mean so much. "I love you, too, Olivia," he whispered back.

* * *

_**A/N: (I'm not requiring, but I'd appreciate:) R&R, please! Okay, just stick with me for this story... I have an idea of where I want it to go, though I'm not sure how long that will make it... Just do me a favor and don't say goodbye to this just yet. ;D**_


	14. Sisters

_**DISCLAIMER: What, wait... Nope. Still don't own anything. Except for, of course, Alise.**_

_**A/N: There's really not much I can think to say... Well, this is a short chapter (in terms of words, anyway). But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.**_

_**Oh, and in case you were wondering what the room looked like... I pictured it like this: **http:// img .hgtv .com/HGTV/2008/02/26/nurseries-mrskeys-pink-and-brown_w609 .jpg **(erase the spaces.)  
**_

* * *

The doorbell woke her up the next morning. She rolled over to find that Elliot wasn't there and she frowned. She got up lazily and dragged herself to the door.

She opened it and froze, wide eyed. "Maureen?" she finally managed to whisper.

"Hey Liv," Maureen said back, grinning brightly. "Nice Pj's."

Olivia blushed and tugged at the tank top she was wearing to try to cover the pink pajama pants with little ducks all over. "You're dad's not here," she said. "And if I remember correctly, _someone_ bought me these with her own money when she was a little girl. And she was very proud of them."

Maureen blushed and scratched the back of her head, slightly embarrassed. "Oh yeah..." she said dropping her eyes. "Well, I'm not here to see my dad. I'm here to see you." She looked back up to Olivia."

"Me? Why?"

She shrugged. "Just came to see this new woman dad's been bragging about. And," she furrowed her brow, pretending to be thoroughly confused, "I came to see this new daughter?" She smiled as Olivia's eyes lit up. "That he keeps talking about."

Olivia smiled, from nearly ear to ear. "You want to see my daughter?"

"No," Maureen said simply. "I want to see my sister."

Olivia's eyes stung with tears, but she pushed them back. "Come on in, Maureen." She stepped aside and Maureen stepped over the threshold and into the house.

She turned back to Olivia, rubbing her thighs nervously. "I heard that you worked with Lizzie back in Ohio."

"Yup."

"For six months. And you didn't recognize her? She didn't recognize you?"

They walked slowly to Alise's room.

"Cut us some slack, Maureen. I hadn't seen her since she was little, and she hadn't seen me. Besides," she sighed. "I still had blond hair, remember?" she said jokingly.

"Oh yeah, I completely forgot." She paused as she watched the back of Olivia's head. "Liv, I just gotta say: you look so much better as a brunette."

She grinned but stayed silent. She opened the door to Alise's room and the hallway flooded with the bright light.

The room was simple but elegant. The soft pink walls and the slightly darker pink curtains gave the room a comfortable feeling. A small chandelier hang from the ceiling, sparkling in the light. A picture of the little family sat on a nightstand next to a large brown chair that sat in the corner, facing the room littered with toys. Alise slept in her crib in the opposite corner.

Maureen walked up to her and leaned down, kissing the girl's forehead gently. Alise gurgled and opened her eyes slowly. She looked up into Maureen's smiling face, her blond hair dangling.

"Hey there little one," Maureen cooed softly. She reached in and picked up Alise gently, cradling her in her arms. "I'm your big sister. My name's Maureen. You're adorable, aren't you?"

Olivia leaned in the door frame and crossed her arms, smiling happily. Maureen was right. They were sisters.

* * *

_**A/N: Please R&R! Thankies. ^_^**_


	15. In Their Eyes

_**DISCLAIMER: I think we know, but I'll say it again. I own nothing.**_

_**A/N: Again, this one's a little short (in terms of words). But it's a little bit longer because it's almost all dialogue... Anyway, enjoy as much as possible. o_O**_

_**Also, I'm not really good with... food things. Or wine. So I don't really know any... thing. I apologize for that.  
**_

* * *

"Wow. This is gorgeous, daddy," Maureen said, looking around the restaurant. "This must be expensive."

He smiled, putting his arm around his daughter. "Nothing's too expensive for my girls." He kissed the top of her head gently as he pulled Olivia close to his other side.

The three sat down at a small table, settling into their chairs as they picked up the menus in front of them. "What do you girls want?" Elliot asked, looking up to the two women at either side of him.

"You're buying, right?" Maureen asked.

"Yes ma'am." He nodded.

"Good. Then I'll be having something expensive," she smiled at him over her menu.

He sighed and rolled his eyes to look at Olivia. "How 'bout you?"

She bit her lip as she looked down, running her eyes over the menu. "I... I don't know. What about you, big boy?"

He chuckled lightly to himself. "I was gonna get some sort of seafood. Lobster, maybe?"

"Seafood sounds good," Olivia said. "I might get that."

Elliot looked over to her with a confused expression. "But... you hate seafood," he reminded her.

She furrowed her brow. "I know... But it sounds appealing. Maybe I'll try it again." She paused, looking up and down the menu. "And I think I'll have some wine."

He shook his head in confusion. "Alright, I guess I'll have some wine, too, I guess."

"What? You guys get to drink, but I can't? I'm so getting some wine, too," Maureen argued.

Elliot sighed. "Fine. You're an adult, too... I suppose."

"You suppose?" Maureen was about to start arguing more with him when the waiter came up.

"Can I start you off with some drinks tonight?" he asked, pulling out a small notepad and pen.

"Yeah, we'll all get some Chardonnay." Elliot turned back Maureen and Olivia, raising an eyebrow. "That okay?" he asked.

"Hold it, daddy-o," Maureen said. "I'll be getting some Merlot, thanks." She smiled up at the waiter.

Elliot chuckled at his daughter.

"Alright," the waiter said, scribbling it down on his notepad. "And are you ready to order yet?" he asked as he looked up at the three.

Again, Elliot turned back to Maureen and Olivia, eyebrows raised questioningly.

Maureen started, eager and impatient. "What's good? And expensive," she added.

The waiter grinned. "The steak's good," he said simply.

"Sure," Maureen nodded, grinning successfully at Elliot.

"I guess I'll have the lobster," Elliot shrugged.

"Okay," he said, scribbling it down. "And you, ma'am?" He turned towards Olivia.

Olivia raised her eyebrows and looked to Elliot. "Is there... anything with... shrimp?" She looked back to the waiter. "Or anything with seafood, really."

"Okay..." he said and smiled as he walked away.

By the time their food arrived, everyone but was on their second glass of wine, and Elliot and Maureen were heading for their third.

Olivia looked down at her meal excitedly. "Shrimp, mmm..." She looked up to Elliot, who was eying her. "What? It sounded good. Plus, it's always good to try something new, right? See where it goes..."

He suddenly had the feeling she wasn't talking about the shrimp anymore...

Maureen eyed them carefully as she put a piece of steak in her mouth, chewing slowly and hardly noticing the taste.

"Umm, well..." Olivia sighed finally, dropping her misty eyes and blushing as she bit her lip. "Lets eat?" she suggested.

Maureen smiled and looked down to her food. She always knew that Olivia was perfect for her dad, now she saw it in their eyes.

* * *

_**A/N: I realize this is a boring chapter, so I'm not really expecting reviews (or that many, anyway)... But R&R if you'd like. I'd appreciate it lots. ^_^**_


	16. The Shrimp

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing at all. As much as I wish I did. (Well, except for Alise...)  
**_

_**A/N: I'm sorry they're short! I'm sorry they're boring! They're going somewhere, though. I promise. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I (really) love reviews, so thank you lots. ^_^**_

_**Additional A/N... I don't really know... anything about kids... So I've had to look up a lot of things. Alise is a little over one right now... And I don't think she's quite eating solid foods yet (maybe some softer things, like fruits, veggies, potatoes, etc.), or out of a crib, or using full sentences (or full words, really...), or other things... If I'm wrong, PLEASE correct me. I've just been looking it up on the internet.  
**_

* * *

He sat on the floor next to her kneeling figure, holding her brown hair back and stroking her cheek gently. A gagging, choking, dry hurling sound emanated from the inside of the toilet bowl. She finally leaned back onto the wall, pushing her hair back miserably.

She looked at Elliot. His cerulean eyes were apologetic, sorry and full of worry. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

She smiled weakly. "I got nothing left to throw up," she said.

"Yes, but are you okay?" he asked again.

"I'll be fine. I think maybe..." she paused and shut her eyes again. She leaned back into the toilet and that dry hurling sound came again.

She moaned as she leaned back to the wall. "Maybe having that shrimp wasn't a good idea," she chuckled weakly.

He grinned. "Come on," he said, standing up and taking her hand.

She followed him up reluctantly.

She squealed in surprise as he put his arm under her knees and scooped her up in his arms. She simply smiled and leaned against his chest, tangling her fingers in his shirt, unbuttoning it slowly.

He grinned as he carried her to their room and dumped her gently on the bed. He stripped off his shirt and pants so he was in nothing but his boxers. He was about to pull on his sweats when Olivia spoke up.

"Are you really sure you want to put those on, you yummy boy?" she asked, drawing a light circle on the pillow as she laid on her side.

He pulled the sweats on. "I'm sure. You're not feeling well so let's just go to sleep, alright baby?"

She sighed, succumbing to him as he crawled under the covers next to her. She got up and pulled the duck pj's from the pile of dirty clothes accumulating _around_ their hamper. She stripped and changed into them, almost changing Elliot's mind as well...

She crawled back under the covers next to him, curling up in his arms as he put them around her.

"Elliot?" she finally mumbled through her fingers, half asleep.

"Mmm?" he moaned in response, finding himself more tired than he thought he was.

"I don't feel good."

"Do you want to go to bathroom again?" he asked, a little more alert.

"No, I think I'll be okay. I just... just don't feel good," she sighed.

"And you just want to complain to me about it?" he chuckled with a sigh.

"Yes," she said simply.

Just then, as luck would have it, Alise wailed into the baby monitor. "Mama!" she cried. "Mama, blankie. Elf-ent!" she cried in desperation.

"Oh, the elephant," Olivia sighed.

She got up and went to Alise's aid.

"Elf-ent, blankie! Maaammaa!" she cried, shaking the rails of her crib.

Olivia picked up the stuffed elephant and blue blanket that had been left on the chair from earlier that day. Both were worn and old looking. She handed them to Alise, who's crying ceased immediately. She fell back into her crib contently, curling up with them as she shut her eyes.

Olivia grinned weakly as she looked down at her with dim, tired eyes. She leaned down and kissed the girl gently before going back to bed with Elliot. She curled up in his arms in much the same way Alise had just done.

She sighed tiredly as he put his arms around her again, pulling her close. He was so warm, so comforting… She let herself drift to sleep as the house grew quiet.

* * *

_**A/N: Again: sorry it's short, sorry it's boring. Next chapter gets more interesting (and it's longer)... Just stick with me! And, as always... reviews are always much appreciated! ^_^**_

_**(I'm also not sure how much longer I'll make this... it depends on how many ideas I can pull out of my head... It might end within two or three more chapters... [so if you wanna help a friend out ;)] o_O)**_


	17. You're Late

_**DISCLAIMER: Nothing's mine.**_

_**A/N: I'm only gonna say thank you to those who reviewed! :) Now you must read to find anything out. ;)**_

* * *

She hurried into the squad rooms, hair thrown back into a ponytail hastily. She slumped into her chair and sighed. It felt so good to be back in that chair at her old desk… it felt so good to be back.

A moment later, Cragen stepped out of his office, leaning in the door frame. She looked up to him with worried eyes as she bit her lip, her eyebrows raised in concern.

"You're late," he chuckled, smiling at her.

"I'm sorry. I had to take Alise and then… that shrimp didn't settle–"

"It's not good to be late on your first day, Liv."

She raised an eyebrow and grinned. "First day _back_, you mean."

"Olivia?"

She turned around to face the familiar voice. She smiled as he approached.

"Chester!" she said as he embraced her in a tight hug. "Why are you here?" she asked, pulling away.

"Just needed to make sure this kid's alright," Fin said before Lake could say anything. He put his arm around Lake's neck and gave him a noogie.

"Hey, hey!" he shouted, pulling away from Fin's grip.

Fin laughed which, in turn, made Lake laugh. Olivia joined in, giggling slightly.

"So," Olivia finally began, "you never answered me. What are you doing here?"

"I got a case I need you guys' help with."

Olivia's heart began beating faster. Her first day back and she already had a case? Her luck seemed unbelievable.

"Really? You need _our_ help?" Munch asked as he entered the room.

Lake turned to see him. "Munch!" he exclaimed. "How you been, buddy?"

He tried to give him a 'man-hug', but Munch pulled away. "Better, now that I got my partner back," he said with a slight chuckle.

Lake scratched the back of his neck and laughed embarrassedly.

Olivia suddenly put a hand to her mouth and gagged slightly. "I'll be right back," she said hurriedly through her fingers and rushed to the bathroom.

She ducked her head into one of the toilet bowls and heaved into it.

_What if…_ she thought to herself. _No, no. It's just hopeful thinking…_

But she couldn't help but wonder.

She returned to the squad room, wiping vomit off the corners of her mouth. She smiled uneasily when she saw Elliot sitting on his desk, talking to the other three.

"Liv," he said as she approached.

"Elliot…" she started, "I have to go pick up something at the store real quick…"

He drew his brow in, in concern. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she smiled. "Everything's great."

"Okay."

* * *

She came back to the squad room as she stuffed it into her pocket. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked nervous and uncomfortable.

"Elliot?" she said softly as she approached his desk.

He looked up to her and smiled. "Hey, Livvie."

"I need to talk to you for a minute." She looked around the squad room uncomfortably.

His brow drew in again. "What's wrong, Olivia?"

"Just… just come with me," she told him as she walked away, back outside the squad room.

She turned to face him when they were in an isolated corner of the hallway, with no people, movement, or noise.

"Olivia, what is _wrong_?" he asked, seriously concerned. His eyes were full of fear.

She sighed, unsure of how to start this conversation… "Elliot, I… I…" she stumbled on her words, not knowing what to say.

She looked up to him, misty tears forming behind her eyes. "I'm late," she whispered breathily.

"For what? Work? Liv, you know that's nothing -"

"Not work, El. _I'm late_," she said again.

He paused for a minute. "You're late? You mean…"

He never finished his question.

She pulled out the white stick he had stuffed into her pocket moments before. She put it in front of his face, her hand trembling slightly.

He took it from her, looking down at it and studying it carefully.

"I'm pregnant," she said finally.

* * *

_**A/N: Please R&R! Please. I also want to know what you guys think it'll be: boy or girl. :)**_


	18. Decisions

_**DISCLAIMER: Nope. None if it's mine.**_

_**A/N: I'm sorry, I meant to post this earlier. But I didn't have it with me (it's on a flash drive, so...). And, as always, thanks to you who reviewed! Enjoy!**_

* * *

_She looked up to him, misty tears forming behind her eyes. "I'm late," she whispered breathily._

"_For what? Work? Liv, you know that's nothing -"_

"_Not work, El. __I'm late__," she said again. _

_He paused for a minute. "You're late? You mean…"_

_He never finished his question. _

_She pulled out the white stick he had stuffed into her pocket moments before. She put it in front of his face, her hand trembling slightly. _

_He took it from her, looking down at it and studying it carefully._

"_I'm pregnant," she said finally._

A long silence passed between them as they looked uncertainly into one-another's eyes. "What are we going to do?" Olivia finally asked quietly.

Elliot shook his head, looking down to the pregnancy test in his hands. He looked at the little red plus sign and a slight grin crept across his face.

She folded her arms and drew them close to herself. She bit her lip as she shifted nervously, waiting for Elliot's answer.

He looked back up to her. The grin on his face made her worried thoughts melt away. He was happy, he was glad…

"What do you mean 'what are we going to do?' The whole plan I'm not sure about just yet. But I do know that we're not letting you work the streets, if you're going to work here at all." His voice was genuine and sincerely concerned for her… and the baby…

The tears came back to her eyes as she looked up at him, his blue eyes looking down lovingly at her.

"Oh, El," she whispered, falling into his arms.

He put his arms gently around her shoulders, hugging her closely. He kissed the top of her head gently, leaving his lips lingering on her hair for a long minute. She smelled like sun-kissed lavender…

He could feel her tears staining the shoulder of his shirt and he drew her closer, stroking her soft hair gently.

She finally pulled away from him. She wiped the tears away from her cheeks and smiled up at Elliot, her eyes glowing with happiness. "So… What are we going to do for today?" she asked him.

He sighed and dropped his head, looking down to his feet. "I don't know."

"Should we tell them?" she asked quietly, sniffling slightly.

"No," he said rather loudly, startling Olivia as he looked back up to her. "No," he softened his voice. "Not yet. We'll come up with how to tell them tonight."

She nodded in agreement.

"Let's just…" he paused to think. "Let's just play it close to the vest, keep it safe."

Again, she nodded in agreement.

He nodded back. "Right, so… Let's go back, before Munch comes up with some crazy conspiracy for this." He grinned.

She grinned back and they hurried back to the squad room as Olivia hid the pregnancy test in her pocket again.

* * *

"El!" she cried as he came in. "I'm in here!"

She saw his heavily coated figure come into the dark room and he flipped on a light. "What are you still doing up?" he asked, shedding his heavy coat and hat. "It's nearly midnight," he informed her.

She chewed on the eraser of the pencil in her hand as she looked down at the book in her lap. The couch sagged as Elliot sat next to her, putting his arm around her. He looked down at the book. "Whatcha doing?"

"Looking at names," she told him.

"You can't already know the sex, can you?"

She shook her head. "I'm just picking out names that I like, boy and girl."

She looked up to him, her brown eyes shimmering hopefully. "Do you have any preferences?"

He shook his head and chuckled. "I don't think we need to find a name right away. I think the name will find her."

"Or him," she corrected him, smiling slyly up at him.

He paused for a minute, then chuckled again. "I just haven't seemed to have too much luck in that department," he reminded her.

"Well," she sighed, looking back down to the book. "Maybe seventh time's the charm."

"I've got two boys, Liv. And even if we're gonna have a boy; I'll still be swimming in a sea of estrogen."

Olivia sighed a breathy chuckle and looked back up to him. "Yeah, you will."

He sneered playfully at her and she sneered back.

His arm that wasn't around her made a quick move for her side and she squealed as he tickled her. She fell away from him, dropping the book and putting her hands and knees up in defense.

She laughed madly as he broke through her defense and continued to tickle her.

"Elliot! Elliot, stop!" she laughed between breaths for air.

He stopped and she heaved for air, relaxing her tensed muscles and falling tiredly to the comfort of the couch. She closed her eyes and felt suddenly exhausted.

Elliot squeezed in next to her, pulling her close to him. Olivia sighed contently and nuzzled into her folded arm. His hand slid to her stomach and he began to rub gentle, calming circles on it.

He rested his head between her neck and shoulder, kissing her softly.

She smiled and stroked his face gently, almost as if drawing his face closer to hers.

"I'm glad that you're happy about this, El," she whispered sleepily.

"Of course I am, Liv. I'm happy to give you what you've always wanted... I'm happy that it's _ours_. I wouldn't want it any other way."

She smiled again and drifted into oblivion.

* * *

_**A/N: I think it's kinda funny how half the people who reviewed said boy, and half said girl... So gender suggestions are still welcomed. ^_^ And as always... reviews are much appreciated!**_


	19. This Job

_**DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely nothing. Just the little girl...**_

_**A/N: AHHHH!!!! Yay! It's finally HERE! I'm SO sorry this took SO long you guys. I just... really didn't want to rewrite another chapter of this story. But my files were corrupt on my flash drive and I did everything I could to get them back. In the end, it looks as though they're still corrupt... But I managed to get them by opening it with notepad. Anyway, this is just a bunch of rambling that you don't really care to know. **_

_**So, about the story... Things should get back onto the regular track now. :) And, as always, enjoy!  
**_

* * *

"What!?!" Cragen cried, outraged. His face was bright red.

Olivia stumbled back in surprise and fear. She opened her mouth to speak, but found that her throat was dry...

He saw that he had scared her and lowered his voice. "I'm sorry, Olivia. I didn't mean to shout."

She pushed back the tears that were coming to her eyes. "It's okay," she said quietly.

He saw the sadness that had surfaced and he stepped forward and embraced her in a hug. "I'm sorry. You know that I'm happy for you, right? I really am."

She pulled away from his embrace, smiling up to him. "I know."

"You know I was just worried about you, too? This job..."

"I know," she cut him off. "That's why Elliot suggested that either I... I quit or go to desk..." She wrinkled her nose in disgust

"Well," he sighed, pausing for a moment. "What do you think you should do?"

"I'd rather go to desk than leave," she said, her eyebrows raised, as though it was blatantly obvious.

He nodded. "Then I'll put you on desk work. And honestly? I'd rather have you here than gone, too."

She smiled up at him again.

Just then, Elliot stepped through the doors with a young girl clinging tightly to his hand. She looked as though she was only four or five…

He saw Olivia and grinned weakly as he took the girl up the stairs. Olivia followed them.

Her heart nearly broke when she saw Elliot hand the little girl a juice box and she smiled up at him.

Her right eye was black and she was covered in bruises and cuts. Her blond hair was tugged at and matted, as well. And she didn't seem to have a care in the world, she just smiled…

Olivia came and sat next to her and smiled, almost apologetically, down at the girl. "Hi, sweetie," she said kindly. "What's you're name?"

"I'm Olivia," she said, smiling and swinging her feet as she took a sip from the juice box.

"My name's Olivia, too," she said, smiling at the little girl.

The girl's eyes grew wide. "Really? That's so cool!"

"Yeah, it is. Now, Olivia…" she paused. "Can you tell me how you got these cuts and bruises?" Olivia asked, stroking the girl's matted hair gently, her brow knit in concern.

She looked away ashamedly. "I got in a fight."

"With who?"

The little girl stuck the straw back in her mouth to avoid the question. Olivia could see the tears she was pushing back.

Olivia looked up at Elliot who was in the shadows leaning against the wall. He smiled meekly at her, pushing her to go on.

"Who did you get in a fight with, Olivia?" she asked again gently, looking back to the girl.

Still, she just sucked at the empty juice box, looking at her swinging feet.

Olivia sighed unsuccessfully. "Do you want us to call your parents, sweetheart?" she asked.

The girl swung her head to look up at Olivia, her little brown eyes full of fear. "No, please don't call my parents," she begged.

"Why? What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I don't want to talk about it…" she trailed off, dropping her eyes back to the empty juice box in her hands, realized that she'd crushed it in desperation.

Olivia waited for a moment. "Did your parents hurt you?" she asked the little girl softly.

Her lip quivered and she broke down into Olivia's caring arms. "My daddy…" the girl sobbed.

Olivia stroked her hair caringly. "Shh, it'll be alright…" she said, unsure if it was the truth or not.

* * *

He pushed open the door to the crib and it creaked loudly.

Olivia swung her head to see who was there, wiping at her cheeks. She smiled sullenly, seeing it was only Elliot. "Oh, it's only you," she sighed, falling into the nearest bed.

Elliot came and sat next to her, pulling her close to his chest.

She bit her lip to stop it from quivering, trying to be strong. She gave up and cried into Elliot's chest.

"What's wrong, Liv?" he asked gently, rubbing her shoulder.

"I don't know if I can do this, Elliot."

"Do what?"

She pulled away. "This," she gestured to the room. "This job. I don't know if I can do it."

"Why not?" he asked, his voice thick with sincerity.

"I was looking at that little girl today, and all I kept thinking was… what if this was Alise? What if this was my baby?" She looked up at him with hurting brown eyes. "What if this happens to _our_ baby?" she asked him quietly.

"Just do what you think is right, Livvie," he said and he pulled her close again as she continued to sob quietly.

"Nothing bad will ever happen to our baby, Liv. Or to our Alise. I promise," he said quietly.

She smiled and hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered into his chest.

* * *

_**A/N: I hope you guys liked it! Please R&R! ...Please? Because you all know how much of a review whore I am. (I really do appreciate each and every review a lot...)  
**_

_**And, once more, things should get back onto the regular track now. So expect a new chapter soon. ^_^ One more thing! Still want your guys' opinions on if it should be a boy or a girl (or twins, I guess). ;)  
**_


	20. Reunions

_**DISCLAIMER: Umm... Don't own anything... Yet... o_O**_

_**A/N: Yay! 20 chapters! That's a big milestone for me. ^_^ Bringing back lottsa people. I think I'll bring back even more people, too. :D I hope you guys like this chapter.**_

* * *

She heard the doors swing open. She assumed it was Elliot, or Munch, or Fin, or maybe even Lake. Without even looking up from her paperwork, she asked, "How's the real world?"

"Ah, you know. Same old, same old. Rape, kidnapping… murder," a familiar voice said, though not the voice Olivia had expected.

Her eyes shot up to look at the person as the footsteps stopped in front of her desk. A smile crept across her face. "Jefferies?"

"Hey Liv," she said with a slight lift of the chin as she smiled down at her.

"What are you… What are you doing here?" Olivia asked, standing up.

She shrugged. "Heard an old friend of mine was having a kid…" she paused. "With another old friend of mine." She smiled as Olivia blushed slightly, trying to hide behind her hair.

"So…" Olivia began. "Is that all you came for?"

"Naw, I left my wallet here ten years ago. I just remembered about it," Monique joked, waving a hand playfully.

Olivia and Monique turned as the doors swung open again. Lake walked through, followed closely by Munch.

He spotted Monique quickly. "What is this, some kind of old partner reunion?"

She embraced him in a hug as he approached, which he awkwardly accepted and returned.

"It's good to see to see you again, John."

He scratched the back of his head, feeling rather awkward from the human contact. "Good to see you too, Monique."

Once more, the doors to the squad room swung open and a familiar face entered, a smile stretched across it. "What's this? You're having a party and you didn't invite _me_?"

Olivia's mouth nearly dropped as the unforgettable, smiling face framed by the blond hair trotted happily towards her.

"What, no hug?" she asked, pouting playfully as she stopped in the middle of the group gathered around Olivia's desk.

The surprised looked on Olivia's face melted into a smile and she hugged the woman in front of her tightly.

"I've missed you, Case," she whispered, squeezing her friend tightly before pulling away.

"It _is_ a reunion!" Munch exclaimed. "It's not a conspiracy, too... is it?"

Monique elbowed him hard in the side. "Ow," he whined, rubbing his arm.

"You're still going on with all of your silly conspiracy theories?" she asked.

"It's true, though... The government -"

Monique elbowed him again. "Shut up, Munch!"

"So, Liv..." Casey began. "I heard you were having baby. Is that true?"

Olivia blushed again. "How does everyone know about this?" She laughed nervously to herself. "Is that why you're all here?"

Monique and Casey nodded and Munch shrugged as Lake approached the group.

"What'd I miss?" he asked.

Casey ignored him. "So, why don't we take you out? Before you get too huge to do anything," she chuckled.

"You know I can't drink, Case," Olivia said.

She shrugged. "So _we'll_ drink. We'll get _you_ some ginger ale."

* * *

She handed the glass of bubbling ginger ale to Casey.

"Where are you going?" she asked loudly, her words slurring slightly as the music blared.

"Just hold my drink... I feel a little nauseous. I'll be right back."

The truth was that Olivia just needed some air. Her small, two bedroom apartment was crowded with people and the music was too loud. She just needed a little break.

She stepped outside and the cool night air of New York, lit by the streetlights, enveloped her burning body. She sighed in relief as she leaned against the side of the building. "My neighbors are gonna kill me," she said to herself.

Just then, she heard footsteps approaching her and she turned to face them.

For just about the millionth time that day, she smiled as a familiar face approached her. "Simon!" she cried, flinging herself into his accepting hug.

"Hey, big sis."

"What are you doing here?" she asked for a third time that day. She knew the answer that was coming.

He smiled as he looked up at her. "I heard I have a little niece... And another one on the way."

"How does everyone know? And why'd they all wait until I got pregnant... they never came _just_ to see Alise," Olivia said to herself, frustrated.

"Well, I don't know about everybody else... But Elliot told me," Simon replied.

Her eyes shot back up to Simon. "Elliot told you?" she asked quietly.

He nodded and then a silence fell between them as the sounds of the city continued to carry on. "Alise? Is that her name?"

Olivia smiled, not blushing. She nodded. "Alise Nicole Stabler," she informed him.

He smiled and whispered the name to himself. "Alise," he said, adjusting to the feeling of the words in his mouth. "You gave her Elliot's name?" he asked. "Even though you weren't together...? Even though she's not his...?" the last question had an uncertain feeling to it.

She smiled caringly at her little brother and she suddenly wanted a their baby to be a little boy. She wanted Alise to have a little brother, too. "Of course I did. She doesn't have to have his blood to be his daughter."

"But how did you know he would even accept her as his?"

She looked away, her mind falling to Elliot and the past decade she'd spent with him. She thought about the letter... And how true every word was... "I just... I just knew."

Silence fell between them again.

Olivia snapped back to reality, her thoughts coming back to her body. "So!" she said suddenly, clasping her hands together. "There's a party upstairs, wanna join us?"

Simon looked around uncertainly for a moment. "Uh... sure," he decided.

* * *

_**A/N: Please R&R, tell me what you think! Because you know me and reviews. xD**_


	21. Ultrasounds

_**DISCLAIMER: I own... anything that's not Dick's.**_

_**A/N: Well... the decision is final. I've made up my mind about the sex of the baby. And you get to read this to find out. I'm sorry it's a bit short, but... Enjoy! And thank you to all who reviewed! :)  
**_

* * *

"How come you've been... contacting... everybody? Monique, Casey, Simon... is there anyone else?" she asked him accusingly, her hands on her hips.

He sighed and grinned, knowing it was only her hormones. "What? You don't like seeing them, Liv?"

"I don't like that they're all surprising me! I don't like that you didn't tell me that you called them! Now," she sighed. "You wanna answer my question?"

"I called them because I thought you'd like to see them, I thought you'd want to do it right this time..." he said rather softly. His eyes came up to meet hers. They were softer now, and accompanied by a slight smile.

Olivia stepped forward and fell into Elliot's arms. "Thank you, El," she whispered.

After a long moment in his comforting arms, Olivia pulled away and looked up at him, smiling brightly. "I'm having my first ultrasound today... you coming?"

Her bump was small, but noticeable.

"How far along are you now?" he asked, looking back up from her stomach to her face.

"_We_ are almost at eighteen weeks now," she grinned up at him.

"Uhh..." Elliot shifted nervously. "Can we, um... Can we know the gender just yet?"

Olivia nodded, a bright smile on her face. "I've asked for her to tell us... Do you want to know?"

He nodded, unsurely at first.

"You should know that better than anyone, shouldn't you? The timing?"

He shrugged. "To be frankly honest, I... I didn't go to most of Kathy's ultrasounds. She usually just... told me afterwards."

Olivia grinned and raised a single eyebrow. "Don't tell me this is the first ultrasound you've been to."

"No, no, no. I went to... some of Kathy's... Just not... all of them..." Elliot said, scratching the back of his neck embarrassedly.

"Well, it's in half an hour... think maybe we should shove off?"

* * *

She squeezed Elliot's hand out of nervous habit as the gynecologist pressed the camera against Olivia's stomach. She pulled his hand up and kissed his knuckles, leaving her lips lingering there. She looked nervously at the screen.

It took the gynecologist a bit of moving the camera and spreading the gel before she finally found the baby.

"And there it is," she said, smiling as she pointed to the baby on the screen.

Olivia drew her breath in and tears came to her eyes. "Oh, El..." she sighed.

A slow grin crept across his face as he continued to look at the screen, and the little gray picture of the baby moving.

He finally turned his eyes to her and she bit her lip, smiling.

"And, it looks like... You two are having a baby boy," the gynecologist told them, smiling kindly.

"A boy," Olivia said quietly, kissing Elliot's knuckles again as she turned her gaze to look at him. His eyes were fixated on the screen, and Olivia swore she saw tears building up behind those beautiful blue eyes.

"A boy," he repeated even quieter.

"I'll go get the prints," the gynecologist said before pulling the camera away and wiping the gel off of Olivia's bump before leaving.

Tears slid silently down Olivia's cheeks as she looked at Elliot. His eyes were still glued to the screen, which was now just black.

"Olivia?" he finally said quietly.

"Yes, Elliot?" she said, her voice quiet and laced with joy.

He didn't say anything for a long minute. "Marry me?" he finally asked softly.

* * *

_**A/N: Awww! I hope you guys are okay with it being a boy... it seemed like more people said boy (though it was pretty even)... And, yay! Proposal! ^_^ Fluffy chapter. So... you know the procedure: Please R&R! ...Please? I really, honestly do appreciate each and every review... And each one ups my self confidence (which I kinda, really need)... Plus, it'll kick my spirits to work faster... So, please...?**_


	22. Promised

_**DISCLAIMER: I asked for it for my birthday, but I don't think I'll get it... So (as of now) everything still belongs to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: Thank you so much to those who reviewed! Here's the next chapter. I didn't really... know what to do... I might skip a few months in the next chapter... Unless ya'll have an idea or two you want to throw out there for the next chapter (or two). But I don't really know what I should do in the in-between months... AND! Names are always appreciated. I've thought about naming him Donald (after Don Cragen) and calling him Donny... But, I don't know yet. SO ANYWAY! Enjoy!**_

* * *

"Got him," Alex said proudly as she strutted through the doors and into the squad room. "Olivia!" she said, spotting Olivia sitting at her desk.

"Great job, Alex," Olivia said, standing up as she approached.

"Eh, screw that. I heard you got your ultrasound the other day."

Olivia nodded.

"Well?" Alex said after a moment. "Do I get to see pictures? Do you know what you're having?"

Olivia smiled, nodding understandingly. She bent down as she rifled through the millions of papers on her desk. She finally stumbled across the ultrasound pictures and picked them up. She smiled down at them before handing them to Alex. "We're having a little boy," she said brightly.

Alex smiled as she flipped through the pictures. "A little boy..." she sighed.

She looked back up to Olivia with dashing blue eyes. "Do you know what you're going to name him?"

Olivia shook her head promptly. "Not a clue. Not yet, anyway." She grinned. "But I'm not too worried. We've got months before he comes... Besides," she shrugged, "he'll find us."

Alex sat on Olivia's desk and smiled down at her. She handed the pictures back to her. "He's adorable, Liv."

She took the photos from Alex. Then, looking back up at the beautiful woman sitting in front of her, she smiled. "He proposed, Alex. He proposed," she said in a soft voice.

Alex's strong jaw dropped and her bright blue eyes filled with surprise.

She waited for a moment for Olivia to answer. "What'd _you_ say?"

"What do you think I said?" she asked playfully, enthralled by her friend's expression. "I said yes."

"Liv!" Alex shouted, grabbing Olivia's head and tangling her fingers in her brown hair and shaking her head slightly. She smiled excitedly down at her. "Livvie!" she repeated. "That's so exciting!"

Olivia grabbed Alex's forearms in attempts to stop her shaking her head. "Alex… Alex… Alex!" she finally shouted.

Every muscle in her body stopped moving. She pulled her hands away from Olivia. "Sorry, Liv… It's just… it's so exciting!"

Olivia smiled back up. "I know…" She rolled her eyes and sighed. "_God_, I know…"

"You're going to be a Stabler… and not _just_ a Stabler, but _Mrs._ Stabler! Mrs. Olivia Stabler."

Olivia bit her lip at the thought and pushed back the tears coming to her eyes. "I know," she whispered, almost as if to herself.

Just then, Elliot stepped through the door, a frantic look on his face. He held a red-eyed Alise in his arms.

"Elliot!" Olivia cried, rushing to him.

She took Alise from his arms and patted her back gently as the little girl cried into her mother's shoulder. "What's wrong? What's going on? Why are you here with Alise?"

He shook his head and bit his lip. He looked as though he might burst into tears.

"Elliot?" she said softly. She touched his face gently and he looked back up to her.

"I promised I'd protect her… I promised nothing would happen to her…" he said, almost guiltily.

Olivia remained utterly confused. "What's going on? What happened?"

"Anne," he sighed, naming the young day care woman who looked after Alise during the day. "Anne… was r… r…" He couldn't believe he was stuttering. "Raped," he finally spat out. "And murdered. In the home… Alise was… in the room. When it happened…"

Olivia had put a hand to her mouth and she hugged Alise even tighter. "El," she sighed. "El, it's not your fault." Olivia paused, thinking about only her daughter's scarred memories. "_She_ didn't get hurt, Elliot. Alise isn't hurt…"

He smiled weakly at her. "I know."

* * *

_**A/N: Alright... you know the procedure... That little green button is so lonely without you. :( So please R&R! You know you want to... And again. Ideas for in-between months (if any) and name ideas (if any) are much appreciated as well. Thanks! :)**_

_**And, by the way, I don't think I'll really do anything more with Anne... unless you have idea for me... But I'm a little stuck right now.  
**_


	23. Sleep

_**DISCLAIMER: I own anything that's not Dick's. **_

_**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! Special thanks to TheFutureNYPD, who gave me the idea for this chapter (and one or two more following). So, anyway... Enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

He was standing in the corner of the room, looking at the neatly made bed and the crib against the wall. The house was quiet and still. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Where am I?" he said to himself. He tried to take a step forward, but found his feet glued to floor and unable to move.

The loud crash against the door made Elliot jump. It burst open a split second later. The man held on the woman's wrists tightly as he slammed her into the bed. She squealed as the tears continued to flood down her face.

When she turned her face towards him, he recognized her immediately. "Anne," he whispered to himself.

The man holding her down made her turn over as he handcuffed her wrists to the headboard of the bed. He immediately began stripping her of her clothing and she squirmed under him, unable to speak because of the gag in her mouth. Her eyes were filled with terror.

He pulled his own shirt and pants off as well. It was right then that Elliot realized that man had no face, like it had been blurred out…

He climbed on top of her and began pounding himself into her. Elliot could only watch as the tears poured from Anne's closed eyes.

In that moment, Elliot remembered… Alise. He turned his attention to the crib and desperately wished he could run to her. He saw her cowering beneath the blanket. She peered out from underneath and Elliot saw the elephant wrapped tightly in her arms. Immediately, she drew back under the blanket. But she didn't make a sound…

Elliot couldn't help but smile at his daughter. She was so smart, just like her mother… didn't let him know she was there…

His eyes fell back to the Anne as the man stood up, proudly finished. He gazed at her for a long minute dropping to the floor to pick up his pants. It was then that Elliot noticed the gun in his pocket.

"No," he whispered to himself, remembering the crime scene photos…

The man pulled the gun from his pocket and pointed it at Anne. He pulled the trigger.

Time slowed. The bullet crept through the air as Elliot watched.

"No!" he shouted. He tried to jump, but his feet were still stuck.

The bullet hit Anne in the left shoulder. Then another bang and the bullet crept through the air again. It hit her in the stomach. Then one last bang and the bullet hit Anne in the side of the head.

She was dead, her eyes glazed over.

Time sped up again. Elliot's heart was racing.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, the man turned to Elliot, pointing the gun at him. He pulled the trigger and the room filled with a loud bang.

"No!" he shouted, holding his hands up in a worthless self defense.

Elliot sat up abruptly, holding his hands up. He was covered in a cold sweat. He looked around the room, breathing heavily. He remembered he was in his own home, in his own bed.

Olivia came into the room, a wet washcloth and cup of water in her hands. She smiled weakly as she saw him sitting up, awake and alert.

She sat next to him, setting the water on the nightstand. She put the washcloth on his forehead and he leaned back slightly. "You've been tossing and turning all night," Olivia sighed exhausted.

"I'm sorry, Liv… It's that dream again, with Anne…"

"I know, baby," she cooed, trying to calm him. "I know. It's just a dream, it's all okay."

He laid back and shut his eyes as he pressed the wet washcloth against his forehead. "It's been weeks and they haven't stopped," he sighed miserably. "Maybe I should see a shrink. Huang maybe?" he suggested, mostly to himself.

"I think you'll be fine, El… you just need a little more time."

"More time?" he asked quietly. "It's already been over six weeks… Six. Weeks." He sighed again.

Olivia looked sadly at him, not knowing what to say to comfort his thoughts. "It's okay, baby… It really is."

A fait whimpering came over the baby monitor. Olivia sighed. She'd been running around all night, comforting Elliot's tossing and turnings and Alise's whimpers of painful dreams. She'd hardly slept at all since the incident at the day care…

She got up, putting a hand to her back to support herself. Twenty five weeks was approaching her quickly and she already looked ready to pop. She steadied herself on the nightstand, feeling slightly dizzy, before heading to Alise's room.

She leaned down and picked up the little girl, who was almost two years old now.

Olivia settled down in the large, soft chair as she rocked Alise gently. She began to softly sing a lullaby and Alise calmed down quickly as a slight, content smile slid across her sleeping face.

Gently, Olivia placed Alise back in her crib and went back to Elliot's side. She found him rolled over onto his stomach and sprawled across the bed, snoring quietly. She smiled weakly, feeling exhausted.

As she stood there in the middle of the bedroom, everything began to become unclear and fuzzy. She put a hand to her forehead and shut her eyes, trying to steady herself.

After a moment of swaying, Olivia opened her eyes again. The room was completely fuzzy and indistinguishable. She started breathing heavily, almost as if she was gasping for breath.

Then, she felt her knees buckle under her and her feet slide away from the floor. She fell backwards onto the ground. Her head hit the floor with a thud. Right then, the world slipped away and she fell into the blackness of oblivion.

The sound of Olivia hitting the floor was just loud enough to wake Elliot. He sat up in bed, taking a brief moment to adjust his eyes.

"Olivia?" he asked sleepily.

He opened his eyes more, not hearing her respond. He sat up even more, rubbing his tired eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw Olivia's pregnant figure lying unconscious on the floor.

"Olivia!" he cried. He grabbed his cell phone from the nightstand next to him and rushed to her side.

He propped her head against his leg and he stroked her hair and face anxiously.

"I need a bus. My pregnant wife collapsed," he said quickly into the phone.

He stoked her face then his hand fell to her stomach. He held it there as he bit his lip, looking down at her face. "Olivia. Stay with me, Olivia," he whispered to her as a single tear slid down his cheek.

* * *

_**A/N: It'll all be okay. Promise. But, please R&R? Pretty please with a cherry on top? I absolutely adore reviews (but you guys probably know that...). ^_^ AND, name suggestions are still welcomed. :)**_


	24. The Tears in Life Changing

_**DISCLAIMER: I only own what Dick Wolf does not...**_

_**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It's very much appreciated. This chapter is sort of a mixture of TheFutureNYPD's idea, SvufanEOshipper's idea, and an old idea I had... So, I hope you like it! As much as you can, anyway...**_

_**

* * *

**_His head was dipped low as he twittled his thumbs nervously. But he couldn't sit still for long, so he got up and paced the hallway. It was empty except for him. Of course, the emergency room never was very full, especially in the middle of the night…

He walked to the vending machine and leaned against it. He sighed heavily, trying to keep his tears at bay.

Just then, the doctor approached Elliot. "Are you the husband?"

Elliot looked over at him, his breaths coming in short, anxious intakes. He shrugged, trying to act as though he wasn't nervous and worried. "Fiancé, yeah… Is she okay? Are they okay?"

The doctor dropped his eyes. Elliot could tell right then that the news wasn't good. The tears he tried to keep back started falling silently from his eyes.

"She fainted from exhaustion, sir. And it looks as though we're going to need to operate if either the mother or child has a chance at living."

"What does that mean?"

"It means we need to deliver the baby, sir," he sighed.

Elliot's mouth dropped. "This early? She's only at twenty five weeks… would he survive?"

"The chances of survival for preterm births are much higher these days, so there's a good chance he would. He would be very small and more than likely have some disabilities, including poor vision. And he's almost guaranteed to have some lung complications, since the lungs do not fully develop until much later in the pregnancy. But there is a good chance of him surviving." He paused. "I have to warn you, though, sir… there's a high chance that _she_ might not survive…"

Elliot's knees almost gave out under him. Olivia? How could he live without Olivia...?

The doctor could see that he was under distress. "I'll give you some time to decide. But we need your decision soon sir, if either of them are going to survive…" And with that, he walked away.

Elliot took a deep breath. This was the hardest decision he ever had to make…

"God damn it!" he shouted as his fist flew into the vending machine, crunching it in.

He fell back against the wall before sinking to the floor. His tears came in heavy heaves.

* * *

He stood in the observation room above the operation room. He chewed nervously on his fingernails. He looked down at the surgeons, the blood, the fetus… his son…

His eyes fell to Olivia's face. It was so peaceful, even with the oxygen mask covering it. He smiled sadly, thinking how it might be the last time he ever saw that beautiful face…

Elliot turned away, he couldn't take it anymore… The thought of loosing Olivia was killing him… But the thought of loosing his son, _their _son, was killing him even more…

He started crying. Not silently, not just tears… honest-to-god crying. The way only Olivia could make him cry…

* * *

_**A/N: Okay... don't hate me yet. It'll get better. Promise. But, ya'll should R&R... tell me what you thought. And I need name suggestions, because he gets a name in the next chapter... And I don't have a name picked out yet, so what should the baby's name be?**_


	25. Recovery

_**DISCLAIMER: Everything belongs to Dick Wolf. I only own what isn't his...**_

_**A/N: Thank you guys for the name suggestions. Much appreciated. And thank you so much for all the reviews! And I actually lied... the actual name isn't picked out until next time. So if you still have an input, you're welcomed to say it. Or tell me which one's you like. (By the way - the last name will be Stabler. It will not be hyphenated.) **_

_**And to TheGoddessPixie: I am truly. Honestly. Sincerely. Sorry. I really am. I hope this makes up for... some of it...  
**_

* * *

He stood outside the nursery, looking in at the tubes and machines breathing for his son, whose skin was thin and purple. He couldn't help but smile. "My boy," he whispered to himself.

Just then, the nurse came out, smiling happily. "Congratulations, Mr. Stabler. You're the father of a healthy baby boy, nearly two pounds."

"Healthy?"

"As healthy as he can be for being as premature as he was." She nodded and smiled. "He'll be fine."

Elliot turned back to look at him. He put a hand to his mouth, to hide his quivering lip.

"Is there a name you would like me to put on the birth certificate?" she asked after a moment.

Elliot turned back to her. They had hardly even thought about names... "Uhh..." he replied.

She smiled and nodded. "You come up with one and tell me later," she said before leaving.

"Mr. Stabler?" the doctor said as he approached.

Elliot turned to face him. He drew his brown in out of confusion as he looked at the smile on the doctor's face.

"I have good news," he said, stopping in front of Elliot and folding his hands.

"Wh..." Elliot stuttered.

"You're fiancée made it through the surgery. She's stable." He paused, soaking in the pleasure of Elliot's expression. "You can go see her, if you'd like."

Elliot sighed in relief and bit his lip. Olivia...

He could hardly keep himself from sprinting to her room. He hurriedly pushed open the door and it nearly slammed into the wall.

Olivia was lying peacefully in the hospital bed, in her hospital nightgown, no tubes or oxygen mask covering her beautiful face. The machines strapped to her body made quiet, steady beeping noises as he looked on at her. But she didn't open her eyes...

"Olivia," he sighed happily, all the muscles in his body relaxing. He walked to her side, sitting in the chair next to her bed.

He took her hand in his, stroking it gently. His finger ran over the IV in her hand, and the pulse monitor on her finger.

A tear slid down his cheek and fell off his chin, onto Olivia's hand. She stirred, her eyes fluttering open slowly. She turned her gaze to Elliot, adjusting her eyes. They'd never sparkled so brilliantly before...

She smiled weakly after seeing him. "Hey, El," she said quietly.

Suddenly, her eyes opened wide and her hands flew to her stomach as her thoughts wandered to her baby. "Elliot, what -"

"He's fine, Olivia."

"What, what..." she stumbled on her words.

"They said they needed to deliver him if there was any chance for him to survive... Because they said you weren't going to survive..." His voice broke on the last word as the tears came back to his eyes. He dipped his head guiltily, tears rolling down his face.

"Elliot," she whispered tenderly.

"I thought I was going to loose you," he cried quietly. He shook his head, looking back up to her with sad, tear filled, blue eyes. "I couldn't loose you, Livvie… not again…"

Olivia's heart nearly broke as she looked at him. She gently touched a hand to his face, looking lovingly into his eyes. "You're not going to loose me, El," she assured him. "I'm here now, and I'm not leaving you. Not ever again."

He smiled, knowing it was the truth.

After a long minute, Olivia spoke again. "So, he's going to be okay?"

Elliot nodded. "The doctors say he's healthy for his premature age. They said he's going to be just fine."

Olivia smiled. "Good," she sighed, looking away as her thoughts wandered.

When she finally turned back to him, her brown eyes sparkled mysteriously. "What are we going to name him?"

Elliot grinned. He hadn't even thought about it since the nurse asked him, he was too concerned with Olivia… "What about Donald, or Donny… after Cragen?" he suggested.

Olivia nodded. "Or John, after Munch…"

Elliot chuckled. "Yeah, because Odafin doesn't suit him so much."

Olivia chuckled, too.

"Or we could even name him Alexander. After Alex, you know?"

Olivia nodded again, liking that idea. "What about Caleb?"

"Or Daniel."

"Or Michael."

"Or Joshua."

By now, the two were just rattling off names that they liked, none of them had any particular meaning.

"Or…" Elliot trailed off, a sudden idea popping into his head. "What about… Noah? Since he survived… and he brought _you_ back to me…"

* * *

_**A/N: See? I told you it'd all be okay. I wouldn't kill Olivia... though I know I'm notoreous for making you guys think that... Because I leave cliff hangers with that... I'm sorry. It won't happen again in this story. But honestly, I don't think I could ever kill Olivia in any of my stories... **_

_**SO. You know the drill... Please R&R? Pretty, pretty please? I really do cherish each and every review, and I try to incorperate the suggestions into my story...**_

_**And. If you have a preferance for the name, feel free to tell me. And I realized when I was writting this... Aren't both Olivia's and Elliot's dad's named Joe (or Joseph)?**_

_**PS - I'm not religeous at all. But Elliot is... and I liked the names... and the ideas fit...  
**_


	26. Nicknames

_**DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Well, Alise is, but that's it.**_

_**A/N: I'm sorry this took forever to get up... I was away for a while, and I've had a sort of writer's block... Which is why this is so boring. It should get more interesting... Anyway. Thank you to my reviewers. ^_^**_

_**And Pixie? This one's for you. :)  
**_

* * *

It had been almost two weeks since Elliot and Olivia's premature son was delivered. Olivia had been discharged only days afterwards. She hadn't been able to go back to work, and Cragen had given her time off anyway, so she mostly stayed in the hospital. She'd sit across from the nursery, looking in at her baby boy… watching him grow.

Since she wasn't working, she also had more time to spend with Alise. Which was all the better because it still worried Elliot – and Olivia, for that matter – to send her to a daycare.

Olivia's past two weeks had been spent with her children, and she loved it more than anything.

"Mama. Baby," Alise would say as she pointed at her baby brother. She was just a month away from being two years old now.

Olivia would smile. "Yeah," she'd say. "You're baby brother, Alex."

Alise would nod enthusiastically. "Auntie Alex," she'd say every time.

"Like Auntie Alex, but this is your brother Alex. Alexander."

It hadn't taken Elliot and Olivia long to decide on a name. Alexander Donald Stabler. It was really rather easy; Alex was Olivia's best friend and more like a sister, and Don… Don was like a father to both Olivia _and_ Elliot.

"Zander," Alise repeated.

Just then, Elliot came walking through the doors at the end of the hallway. Olivia turned to the clock. 9:03. She hadn't realized it had gotten so late so fast.

"Daddy!" Alise cried, bouncing in Olivia's arms as he approached.

He scooped her out of Olivia's arms and kissed her forehead gently as he lifted her in the air. She squirmed with excitement as she giggled.

"How are my girls?" he asked, settling Alise in the crook of his arm. She leaned her head against his shoulder and shut her eyes, suddenly tired.

"We're just fine," Olivia said with a smile.

He turned to look at Alex, who had just acquired a new nickname from his sister: Zander. "And how's my boy?"

Olivia turned to him, too, her smile dropping to a tender grin. "He's doing really well. They've been giving him all the medicine for his lungs and things… They say he may even be able to come home soon."

Elliot turned back to her, a grin creeping across his face. "Home? Really?"

She nodded. "Really."

Olivia suddenly realized how tired she was. "Elliot?" she began, sinking into a nearby chair.

"You're tired," he finished her sentence.

She nodded, leaning on his shoulder. "But I don't want to go home."

"Because Alex is here," Elliot said, reading her thoughts again.

Olivia nodded again. "Oh! I forgot to tell you..."

"Tell me what?"

"Alise came up with a new nickname for Alexander."

Elliot put his arm around Olivia's shoulder and rested his head on hers. "And what's that?"

Olivia smiled, her eyes drooping sleepily. "Zander."

Elliot pulled Alise's sleeping body closer to his as he kissed the top of her head gently. "Zander," he repeated. "It's perfect."

He looked back to Olivia, who he could see was quickly slipping into sleep. He stood up, making Olivia's eyes flutter open. She looked up at him, a sleepy question in her eyes.

"Come on, honey," he said, taking her hand. She stood up slowly. "Let's go home."

She nodded and leaned on him for support as he put his arm around her shoulder, leading her out to the car.

As Olivia climbed into the passenger's seat of Elliot's car, he buckled Alise into a car seat. He turned around, shutting the door behind him.

He suddenly froze.

There was a woman lying against the wall, her clothes ripped and torn. Her curly blond hair hanging in her face, which was covered in bruises. A trail of blood ran from a higher point on the wall, down to where she lay, bruised and broken.

But it wasn't the seeing the unconscious figure that frightened Elliot... it was that he recognized that slender figure and those curly locks...

He rushed to the woman's side and lifted her head, feeling for a pulse. No, it couldn't be... it simply couldn't... But it was.

He looked at that familiar face as he found a slight pulse. He looked up at the glowing sign, thankful that he was outside a hospital.

Elliot slid his arms under her arms and knees, lifting her body from the ground. "You've gotta stay with me, Dani," he said to her unconscious figure, lying limply in his arms.

* * *

_**A/N: Alrighty... Ya'll will know what happens with that in the next chapter. But please R&R anyway! Because you know how much I like reviews. ;)**_


	27. Gifts and Old Faces

_**DISCLAIMER: As if you don't already know it, but I'll say it again: I only own Alise.**_

_**A/N: Okay... I know a lot of you don't like me for bringing Dani back, and I know you want me to kill her. But I'm not going to. I do have a plan for her, though. Don't worry. And, as always, thank you so much to my reviewers! And enjoy the chapter! ^_^  
**_

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open slowly. She felt the pain in her face, the cuts and bruises. She felt the pain throughout the rest of her body. She couldn't remember what had happened...

Just then, a man walked through the door and Dani looked up. She smiled. "Elliot," she sighed. "It's so good to see you."

He didn't say anything, he didn't even smile. He just stood there, an almost angry expression on his face.

Dani's smile fell slightly. "What's wrong?" she said with her still strong accent.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" he asked quietly after a long minute.

She shook her head promptly. "What... what did happen?"

He lifted his chin. "You were attacked."

Her eyes grew wider with worry. She put a hand to the back of her head, feeling the swollen bump where her head had hit the wall. "Was I..." she paused, hesitant to know the answer. "Was I raped?" she asked, tears starting to roll down her cheeks.

Elliot shook his head. "Doctors didn't find any fluids or sign of sexual assault."

Dani sighed a heavy sigh of relief, dropping her hand. "Thank god."

The room fell silent again, a tenseness in the air. Dani bit her lip and looked, almost expectantly, up at Elliot. He looked down at her and clenched his jaw.

"No, Dani. No," he said simply.

She knit her brow in question. "No what?"

"You know what, Dani."

She dropped her eyes guiltily.

"I'm happy, Dani. I'm engaged, and I have a two year old daughter, and two week old son."

Dani didn't look up to Elliot, but she didn't have to for him to see that the tears she was crying were from the hurt of rejection. She gave a slight, understanding nod and sniffled slightly. "I'm happy for you."

He nodded, slightly guiltily that he'd been so harsh on Dani in her fragile state. Having nothing left to say, and not knowing what else to say anyway, he turned and left the room. He stood outside the door for a moment, a sigh of relief escaping his lungs.

Olivia trotted up to him, trying to hide the sadness – and almost betrayal - in her expression. "Is she okay?" she asked. It was obvious that she had been crying.

Elliot nodded. "As good as she can be for how harsh I was with her."

Olivia's eyes seemed almost hurt. "Why'd you do that? You know how fragile victims are. And you of all people -"

"Liv," he interrupted her. "I had to let her know that I... I don't want her to come around here again... I had to."

Olivia paused, looking up at him with sad eyes. "Why? Do you think that our relationship is so... so weak? That you had to tell her to leave us alone... You think she'd come between us?" her voice was soft and hurt.

"No," he sighed sadly, taking her face in his hands, looking down at her tenderly. "No, Livvie. You know that's not true."

The tears had already started rolling down her face. "What then?"

"I just don't need the stress right now."

He leaned down and pressed his lips against Olivia's gently, kissing her tenderly. She pulled away after a minute and smiled up at him, her tears falling away.

"I love you, Elliot," she whispered.

He smiled back at her. "I love you, too, Olivia."

Elliot put his arm around her. "Come on," he sighed. "Let's go see the gang, cheer things up a bit."

A confused expression fell across Olivia's face. "Cheer things up? With the gang? The gang's not cheery, El," she reminded him.

He shrugged. "Maybe they're having a good day."

Olivia opened her mouth to say something, but decided not to and shut it promptly.

* * *

Elliot and Olivia pushed open the squad room doors and stepped into a rush of applause and cheers. It took Olivia by surprise and she stumbled backwards, putting a hand to her heart.

"Surprise!" the room erupted.

Olivia's surprise quickly melted. A broad smile stretched across her face. "You guys!" she shouted back playfully.

Alex stepped forward, Alise in her arms. "Mama! Mama!" Alise cried, reaching out for Olivia. She took the girl from Alex's arms.

"Well," Alex began. "We were going to do this a bit later. But you were early." She stepped aside and the pile of gifts on Olivia's desk, wrapped in baby paper, became visible.

"What's this?" Olivia asked, stepping forward.

Alex shrugged. "A baby shower."

Olivia turned her head sharply back to Alex. "Really?"

She nodded.

"That's so sweet, you guys."

She sat down in her chair, looking at the mount of presents. Alise grabbed for one, but Olivia pulled her back. "Just a minute, baby girl."

Just then, a man pushed through the crowd of people gathered around the desk. His mess of dark brown hair was longer now, and he had grown a small soul-patch. He held a present in his hands, which he offered down to Olivia. "Is it too late for an old friend to join the party?" he asked nonchalantly.

Olivia had to do a double take. She didn't even recognize him at first. She hardly recognized him now, as she looked up into his face. The years had aged him, but underneath that long hair and the soul-patch… he looked exactly the same.

Elliot stepped forward protectively, recognizing him off the bat. He stood an arm's length away from where Olivia was sitting.

Her breath finally coming back to her, she whispered, "Brian?"

* * *

_**A/N: Okay, first thing's first: Please R&R! Pretty, pretty please? Because I'm a junkie for reviews. And, secondly: I know a lot of you are going to hate me for this chapter as well. But I repeat: DON'T WORRY. This is an EO story. And it will remain so. I have a plan for both Dani and Cassidy... And, no. I won't kill them. :)**_


	28. Shattered

_**DISCLAIMER: Nope. Nothing's mine. Sadly...**_

_**A/N: First of all, I have to ask: Are you guys PUMPED for the season finale? OMSVU. I'm so anxious, and nervous, and excited... and everything. Anyway, enough of that. Thank you to everybody who reviewed! Always very much appreciated. Really. And, here's your next chapter. Sorry it's kinda short. Sorry it's not that good... Whatever. **_

_**And just a heads up... This story will be coming to a close in the next couple of chapters, I'm afraid...**_

* * *

Her jacket billowed behind her as she quickened her pace. Her breath was coming quicker than her steps. Her eyes were beginning to blur with the tears that were building up behind them. Her hands were clenched into fists as she walked.

"Olivia!" a voice cried after her. "Olivia, wait!"

She couldn't believe this was happening. First Dani, now Cassidy... This was too much. She had to stop as she reached the elevator. She pressed the button repeatedly, anxious to keep moving.

A hand grabbed her arm. She pulled away instinctively, withdrawing from the touch. "Stop," she whispered.

She opened her eyes and looked at the person standing in front of her. His eyebrows were drawn up in a worried expression. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Olivia's eyes fell tenderly upon him. She smiled weakly as tears started rolling silently down her face. She fell into his arms, sighing heavily.

He put his arms around her, pulling her close. "It's okay, Olivia. It's okay, baby," he whispered into her hair.

"Oh, Elliot," she sighed. "This is too much. First Dani, now Cassidy… Why is everybody showing up like this? Why now?"

Elliot didn't know what to say to her to comfort her, to let her know everything was going to be alright. "It'll all be alright, baby," was all he could come up with.

She cried for a minute in his arms. Then she pulled away and looked up to him. "Why now? When we were just starting to pull everything back together. They had to come and pull it back apart."

"Why do they have to pull it apart?" he asked. Elliot honestly didn't understand why these two pulling Olivia apart so badly… why they were pulling _him_ apart so badly…

She stared up at him with a look of disbelief. Her mouth was gaped slightly, ready to say something back, but not finding the words.

He shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

She sighed and turned away, not entirely sure herself. Maybe it's just because everything was so fragile in their lives right now, and having Dani and Cassidy coming back and wanting to get back together just… broke her. She turned back to look at him, her eyes dry again. "I don't either." She paused and bit her lip. "Maybe… Maybe everything's to fragile to deal with them. Maybe…" she trailed off, lost in thought.

"Maybe what?" Elliot asked after a moment.

"I don't think that Cassidy had ever… completely… gotten over me. And it's obvious that Dani never got over you…" she paused again.

Elliot didn't push her. He knew she was right about what she had said about their lives being too fragile, so he let her take her time.

"And to be completely honest… I didn't get completely over Cassidy for a long time."

Elliot's heart cringed in jealousy. "And now?"

She grinned, knowing him too well to know that he was jealous. "I got over him a long time ago, El."

The tenseness in his muscles loosened when he heard those words and he let a slight sigh escape. "I have an idea," he told her, a mischievous glint in his bright blue eyes.

"Aw, come on Brian," Olivia pleaded, dragging him by the arm. She pushed through the door, grasping onto Cassidy's arm firmly.

"Olivia," he tried to say again. "I don't want to go on a blind date."

"You'll like her." Olivia grinned back at him. "Promise."

Olivia spotted Elliot and Dani sitting at the counter, chatting casually. Dani had a beer in her hand and Elliot kept a short distance from her, feeling awkward in her presence. He spotted Olivia and they both smiled.

Dani turned around to see what had caught Elliot's gaze. Her smile fell when she saw Olivia, recognizing her immediately from that day in the squad room…

Olivia swung into Elliot's arms, releasing her grip from Cassidy as soon as they were close. He stood next to Dani, both of whom where looking at Elliot and Olivia. They then glanced at each other and a certain… spark lit in their eyes. The same spark that was in Elliot and Olivia's eyes… that had always been there.

Pieces of Olivia's life suddenly flew back into place when she saw that spark. She bit her lip and tried to hide her relieved smile. "Have fun, you two," Olivia said, winking at them as she and Elliot left the bar.

As they stood outside in the night air, Elliot sighed. Olivia looked up to him. She reached up and scratched the back of his head playfully. "Hey," she said. "You okay?"

He gave her a sideways glance and grinned. "I'm fantastic."

"Good." She smiled. "Wanna go take your son home?"

Elliot turned to her fully. "He can finally come home?" he asked.

Olivia nodded. "What do you say?"

A bright smile crossed his face. "Let's go."

And with that, Elliot put his arm around Olivia and they disappeared into the darkness, picking up the pieces of their shattered life and putting it back together.

* * *

_**A/N: Okay, as awful as this chapter is, I'm still going to beg you to R&R. Because, as you well know, I'm addicted to reviews. Mmkay, thankies. ^_^ And, also. This is going to be it for Dani and Cassidy. It's the last we'll see of them. And, again. A reminder that this story is coming to a close very soon. Within the next chapter or two...**_


	29. Mrs Stabler

_**DISCLAIMER: Nothing's really mine in this chapter... Nope. It all belongs to Dick Wolf. And he won't give it to me, as many times as I'll ask.**_

_**A/N: Again, sorry this took so long. I couldn't really... come up with anything. So this is it. Sorry it's not that exciting. And, I'm afraid this is going to be the last actual chapter, so...**_

* * *

The day was bright and sparkling with open blue skies. The bright afternoon light leaked through the jade green trees, making the open lawn sparkle brilliantly. The white chairs sat calmly on the lawn as the people in them talked restlessly.

A man stood on under a white arch, covered in beautiful pink roses. He adjusted his tux nervously.

Just then, all the hushed voices stopped their chattering and turned their gazes to the back. The man looked up as everything fell silent. He nearly lost his breath as he looked at the woman standing at the back, clinging to her father's arm. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen…

Her dress was white and flowed magnificently. A thin veil covered her face. She bit her lip as she saw him, standing at the front with the priest.

"You ready?" her father whispered.

She nodded and they took a slow step forward as the organ started playing.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open, adjusting slowly to the early-morning light. The hotel room was filled with a warm, inviting glow. She nuzzled closer to his familiar, strong, bare body and sighed happily. She looked up to his sleeping face. He was so peaceful and the way the light hit his face...

He opened one eye and grinned down at her. "Good morning, Mrs. Stabler," he said, stroking her skin softly.

She smiled. "Good morning, Mr. Stabler," she replied, twisting the gold ring on her finger.

She pushed herself up, covering her naked body with the sheets. She took the undermost sheet with her as she stood up.

"Where you goin'?" Elliot asked sleepily.

"Well," Olivia said, leaning in the doorway. "It's almost eight, so I'm going to take a shower and get dressed, and maybe..." she paused, fondling with the corner of the sheet. "We can have a nice breakfast before we check out," she said, in a rather seductive tone.

He cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "Sounds nice."

She suddenly returned to her shy, maternal state and wrapped the sheets around herself even tighter. She dipped her head and started talking in a rushed voice. "And, besides... we have to be out by eleven, and we should probably pick up Alise and Zander before they drive Alex insane. Then we'll have a few days before we actually leave for our honeymoon." She blushed madly at the last word.

"Okay, Liv," Elliot chuckled. "Okay, Mrs. Stabler."

Olivia blushed again, her face turning a bright red. "Right," she said promptly. "I'll be back, then." And with that, she shut the bathroom door and climbed in the shower.

* * *

Elliot and Olivia stood outside Alex's door and knocked. A familiar face appeared in the doorway, but not the face they were expecting. Both their jaws dropped in awe.

"Hey guys," said the familiar voice. "I'm guessing you're here for Alise and Zander, right?"

She paused, waiting for them to answer, but both of them were too in shock to say anything at all.

"Well, they're adorable, by the way. And itty-bitty Zander? He's the cutest baby I think I've ever seen. Looks a lot like you, El," she said, grinning at their expressions.

Alex appeared in the doorway. She smiled at Elliot and Olivia's shocked expressions. "Hey guys," she said with a smile. "I see you've reunited with Casey, already."

Olivia shook her head, returning to reality. "Casey!" she cried as she flung herself into her friend's arms. "It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too, Liv. Or should I say Mrs. Stabler?" She grinned as she pulled away from Olivia's embrace.

She looked towards Elliot and smiled kindly. "Hey, El."

He stepped forward and hugged her briefly. "Hey, Case."

"What are you doing here, Case?" Olivia asked.

She shrugged. "I've got sources," she grinned and gave a sideways glance towards Alex, "that told me I missed the whole, big ordeal. So, I'm a little late, but I made it."

Olivia turned to Alex. "Thanks for taking the kids, you guys."

She shrugged, blushing slightly as she dropped her gaze. "Thought it might be good practice..."

Olivia knit her brow. "Practice? For what?"

Alex simply looked up to Olivia with striking blue eyes, a smile lit behind them.

Olivia's jaw dropped again, this time there was a smile on her face. "Alex?" she said softly. "You're not... you're not... pregnant, are you?"

She nodded slowly.

* * *

_**A/N: Alrighty, so you know what I'm going to say, but I'll say it anyway. Pretty, pretty please R&R? Very much appreciated. Mmkay, thanks. And, yes, Alex is pregnant. Yes, this is the last chapter. Yes there will still be one more, but it'll just be the epilogue. But I'm not ending it like this, so yeah... Just wait a bit more for that. **_

_**I would like to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of my reviewers! Especially to my long time readers. I've loved that you guys have stuck with me throughout this. But honestly. Thank you guys so, so, so, so much. I have loved getting all of your reviews. :)**_


	30. Epilogue

_**DISCLAIMER: Wow... I own a lot, actually... But only what does not belong to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: Okay... Here it is. I'm sorry I made you wait, but I kinda wanted to update on the 15th, since it's the 3 month anniversary of this story. :)**_

_**ANYWAY... I tried to wrap things up as much as possible, but... tell me what you think.**_

* * *

_10 years later..._

"Tag! You're it!" shouted a little boy as he darted away from his friend.

His friend sneered at him and began chasing him. Their game of tag had turned into a two person game as their other friends left.

"I'm gonna getcha!" he shouted back. He was significantly smaller than his friend, despite being almost a year older. He wore glasses, because contacts irritated his eyes too much. He had a mess of short, black hair, and bright blue eyes.

His friend was a slender boy with blond hair, strong facial features, and green eyes.

He slowed as he chased his friend, gaining distance between them. He bent over and leaned on his knees, gasping for breath.

His friend, smiling brightly, glanced behind him to see if he was still being chased. His smile fell and he skidded to a halt. He rushed back to his friend's side. "Z? Z, are you okay?"

He shook his head. "In... haler..." he choked out.

"Right, right... Where's the inhaler?"

"Back... pack..." Z heaved dryly.

The boy rushed over to it and rifled through it until he found the inhaler and brought it back to his friend.

He took a deep breath with the inhaler in his mouth. He sighed, relieved, as he pulled it away. "Thanks Coop," he said, smiling at him.

"Cooper! Zander!" a woman shouted as she honked the car horn. "Let's go!"

Both boys turned to look at the woman. "Coming mom!" Cooper called. He looked back to Zander. "Where's Alise?" he asked.

Zander looked behind him. He pointed to his sister, reading her book as she sat on a bench not thirty yards away.

"Hey! Alise!" Zander shouted. "Aunt Alex is here! Time to go!"

She picked up her backpack and the three climbed into the car.

"Hey kids," Alex said.

"Mom?" Cooper started. "Can Z please stay the night?"

Alex laughed slightly. "You're with your father this weekend," Alex said. "You'll have to ask him."

Cooper folded his arms and pouted.

Cooper's father was a lawyer, just like his mother. A man named Reid Richardson. He was a tall man with thick brown hair and bright green eyes. He was very handsome, and he and Alex had gotten married before Cooper was born, almost ten years ago. Alex, though, decided to keep her last name.

They had been divorced now for almost three years. But, she and Casey had become fantastic friends since that day nearly eleven years ago.

Zander and Cooper had been best friends from day one. Zander, being so little, had taken a liking to someone his size, though a year younger. Now, Cooper stood several inches over Zander and they looked like polar opposites. Zander with his dark hair, blue eyes, and small, narrow figure compared to Cooper, a tall boy for his age, slender, blond hair, and green eyes.

And Alise was growing into quite the magnificent young woman. She had gorgeous black curls and beautiful brown eyes, just like her mother's. She was very academically bright, and she was quite the social butterfly as well. She always had her nose in a book, but always made time for important things.

She and Zander were very close, as well.

"Mom!" Alise shouted as they entered the small house, waving goodbye to Alex. "Dad! We're home!"

There was no respond from inside the house. "Mom? Dad? Are you guys' home, yet?" Alise called again.

Still, no response.

She shrugged. She slumped into the couch and flipped on the TV. Zander fell next to her.

Cragen and Munch were both retired and Elliot had been promoted to Captain. Olivia and Fin were still working as detectives with new, younger partners that neither of them were very fond of. Luckily, the younger ones came and went, unable to keep their stomach down after enough crime scenes.

"Kiddos?" a voice called, stepping into the room.

"Grandpa!" Zander shouted, jumping up from the couch.

Cragen stepped into sight and Zander flung himself into his arms. "Hey," Cragen laughed, swinging his grandson around. "How's it goin' buddy?"

"Great!" Zander replied enthusiastically.

Alise took her turn to hug Cragen. "What are you doing here, grandpa?"

"Your parents called and said they'd be a little late."

"Ooh, great. Just like always," Alise sighed, rolling her eyes.

"And they asked me to look after you for tonight."

Alise folded her arms and turned away, hiding the disappointment in her expression. She pushed back the slight tears that were coming to her eyes.

"Aw, come on, sweetie," Cragen tried to cheer her up, rubbing her back softly. "Let's go out and do something exciting for your birthday."

She turned back to him. "They promised they'd be here for my birthday this year, grandpa," she whispered. "They promised."

He smiled sadly, his heart breaking at the obvious disappointment in the little girl's eyes. "We'll do something exciting, just the three of us."

Alise smiled kindly at Cragen. After a short minute, she nodded submissively, smiling slightly. Cragen smiled, too.

"Where are we going?" Zander asked, tugging on Cragen's hand anxiously.

"I had a place in mind…" he said with a knowing grin.

* * *

"Grandpa!" Alise whined. "Why am I blindfolded? Where are we going?" she asked. She resisted every urge in her small body to yank the blindfold off her eyes.

"Now, now… just be patient, Alise," he told her, winking at Zander, who clung tightly to his hand. Zander smiled excitedly back up at him, bouncing slightly with every step.

They pushed open the doors and the end of the hallway. Cragen knelt down next to Alise. "Okay, you can take it off now," he whispered.

She anxiously yanked the bandana off her eyes and it fell limply around her neck.

The room erupted. "Surprise!"

Alise's jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide. She stood still for a long minute out of utter shock. A small smile finally crept across her mouth.

Everyone was there. All of Alise's friends, Cooper and Alex, Casey, Fin and Munch, Huang and Warner, Maureen and Kathleen, Dickie and Lizzie, even Simon and Eli, who was all grown up now… but standing in the front of them all, and probably the most important, was Elliot and Olivia. Each of them had broad, bright smiles across their faces.

Alise darted for them as they opened their arms. She flew into them, wrapping her arms around their necks as they lifted her off her feet, sandwiching her between them.

"You promised," she whispered, tears coming to her eyes slightly.

"We'd never miss a birthday this big, sweetheart," Elliot whispered back.

"You're thirteen now, you're a teenager," Olivia whispered.

They dropped Alise back to her feet and the party began…

* * *

"She's asleep," Olivia said, shutting her daughter's door quietly.

"Zander and Cooper, too," Elliot said.

"That party must have worn them out pretty fast," Olivia sighed, folding her arms.

The moon poured through the windows of the small house, illuminating it in a light of soft blue. Elliot looked at Olivia. The soft light made her skin glow and she looked especially beautiful.

"You're gorgeous," he whispered.

She smiled slightly, making her even prettier. "What's possessing you to say this?" she asked.

He shook his head slightly. "I'm just reminding you."

She blushed lightly. "Thank you."

Later that night, they both lay in bed, Elliot's arm wrapped around Olivia's waist as she rested her hands on his and his head resting on the crook of her neck. A slight tear ran down her face.

It ran into Elliot's jaw and he looked towards her, seeing the small, silent tears. He kissed her cheek gently. "What's the matter?" he asked quietly.

"I love our kids, they're so fantastic…" she responded after a long minute of staring out the window.

"I know they are," Elliot said, smiling as he thought about the first time Alise called him dad… The day after he found her again…

"I just…" Olivia paused, biting her lip. "I just don't want this to ever go away…"

Elliot simply kissed her jaw, just below her ear. She smiled slightly. "It won't," he whispered tenderly.

She turned over in his arms, snaking her arms around his neck as she looked up into his big blue eyes… She blushed slightly, thinking how just a decade ago, they were only friends and it seemed as though nothing would change that… Now they were here.

She smiled up at him. "I'm happy we're here."

He grinned back.

"Of course, I'm a little unhappy that it took twenty years, but… still." She shrugged, grinning playfully.

He chuckled slightly. Then, a serious look crossed his eyes again. "I'm glad I found you."

"I'm glad, too," she whispered back tenderly.

Then, he leaned down and touched her smile with his lips.

* * *

_**A/N: Okay! R&R please! Last chapter, so... Yeah, it's the last chapter. Officially. I'm sorry. But if you guys weren't satisfied with it, and YOU guys wanna go ahead and write your own... sequels... I wouldn't be opposed to that. :) Just give me credit, and (of course) just send me a link. ^_^**_

_**Of course, you don't have to. And I can't really imagine that anyone will, but still...**_

_**SO. Please R&R and tell me how you liked it! Thanks. **_

_**And, again: Thank you to all of my long time readers, who've stuck with me for every curveball. Thank you guys for every review. And thank you to the long time readers who maybe didn't leave reviews... AND, thank you to ALL my readers! I love you guys. :)**_


End file.
